Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary
by thefanshipdarkhorse
Summary: In which Holly O'Hair writes/posts fanfiction about all her friends and Ever After High will never be quite the same. Various pairings (too many to tag, really), mainly femslash because that's how I role. Story will be told mainly from Holly's point of view, which is why she is tagged.
1. Prologue: Disclaimer

**SO! This is a story idea that just popped into my head after reading Holly's wiki! Apparently she likes writing stories, in particular fanfiction about her friends, and that just got my mind whirring! I've never taken much interest in Holly, but really, given that she loves to read and write (fanfiction, at that), I figured writing from mainly her perspective wouldn't be too much of a stretch for me. As the title suggests, however, this will be kind of a mish-mash of different pairings, which I think will make for more interesting work than I'm used to doing! Please leave me a review! Like many authors, I work for motivation (and energy drinks/Ben and Jerry's)!**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Prologue: Disclaimer**

* * *

 _The stories contained within this diary are entirely works of fiction. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead—_

No, too cliché.

And entirely untrue, as fanfiction relied solely on preexisting ideas and/or people.

But, ' _Read at your own risk'_ sounded so… _off-putting_. Not to mention melodramatic.

Holly tongue worked subconsciously around the tip of the stylus sticking out of her mouth, causing it to flick in all directions as she thought. After a moment, she took the stylus out of her mouth and put it once more to the MirrorPad resting on her lap (she was particularly fond of the case she had managed to procure for it on SpellNet—a colorful, artistic collage of the names of various famous writers and poets).

 _Herein lie the thoughts and musings of Holly O'Hair…_

She mashed the back button almost instantly, grimacing at the mere sight of the words. It was fanfiction, not a memoir, after all.

Holly sighed. She needed something catchy—something that served as a disclaimer and a gimmick. Something to equally warn and entice.

But clearly, all this overthinking was getting her nowhere.

Slowly, the redhead lowered her stylus once more to her open notebook app and began to write the words as they came to her mind.

* * *

 _ **Welcome to the Fanfiction Diary of Holly O'Hair!**_

 _Be forewarned that by turning the page, you are entering a world of many pairings and situations, some of which may be entirely new to you. Know that somewhere within these pages, you may be exposed to things that will shock you, haunt you, or even scare you. Always be aware that these are works of_ _ **fiction**_ _, and that the various ships you will find within are not necessarily 'canon', nor even advisable. However, for those of you brave enough to continue on, to turn that page, you may just find yourself exposed and/or awakened to your wildest dreams._

 _Please contact Holly O'Hair if you have any particular 'ships' you would like to see set sail on a sea of parchment, where the only limit is your imagination (and a T ranking ;])._

* * *

Holding her MirrorPad in the air before her, Holly surveyed her work for a long moment, using the critical eye that all authors and artists use when analyzing their own work, before giving a thoughtful nod.

Perfect, she thought. It covered all the bases, yet left much to the imagination, as all good fiction (fan or otherwise) must. After all, without a certain air of mystery/intrigue, where was the appeal that would draw her readers?

She stood up, pulling her purse over her shoulder and hugging her precious MirrorPad to her chest.

 _Now_ , she thought with a purposeful exhale as she turned back to survey the enormous castle of a school that was Ever After High, _to find some stories_.

* * *

 **To expand upon my note at the beginning, this fanfiction with consist of a mix of real world situations and Holly's fanfiction. Don't worry, the difference will always be made clear so as not to confuse! 'Real world' pairings may differ from fanfiction pairings, and they may also be affected by the fanfiction Holly writes over the course of the story. Like I said at the beginning, the great thing about this is that the fanfiction portion is more just a mishmash, whatever comes to Holly's shipper mind, so if you have any ideas, please let me know, and maybe I'll work them in ;)**


	2. One: The Popchess Paradox

**So here's chapter one guys! I did try to write Dapple but...well, I just can't create something from nothing, and I see absolutely nothing between them. Even when Apple agreed to kiss him in Epic Winter it was just so...anticlimactic, like she was a friend doing him a favor. So I went in a totally different direvtion. I really hope you guys like it, I went back over it like twenty times and I'm not quite thrilled with it but I did all I could so...I hope you guys like it, and please review!:)**

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 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **One: The Popchess Paradox**

* * *

Holly sat cross-legged on her large four-poster bed, MirrorPad in her lap.

So far, there had been no requests for fanfiction, but that could only be expected—after all, it had been less than a week, and it _was_ a new blog.

 _Might as well get the ball rolling_ , she thought, tapping on her notebook app and starting a new entry. All that remained was to decide upon a subject.

Holly was no fledgling fanficcer. If she wanted to play it safe, and get a lot of loyal followers at the same time, she should write about a popular pairing, one that the majority of her classmates 'shipped'.

If she were to do that, the answer was obvious—Apple White and Daring Charming were by far Ever After High's top power couple, never mind the fact that neither of them had ever expressed the slightest interest in the other. Therein lay the problem, however. For a pairing to 'work' (for Holly, at least), it had to be at least somewhat believable; it needed to grow from at least the smallest shred of truth. They were friendly enough, and were seen together quite often, but there was just absolutely _nothing_ there for Holly to work with. She could try to start from scratch—make up feelings as she went—but that was never how the best fanfictions started. There was no 'creating' the raw chemistry. Even foe yay stories came from a place of mutual strong feelings (hate was, after all, a mere hair's breath from lust, something Holly would keep in mind for later fics). With Daring and Apple, Holly just got…absolutely nothing. No strong feelings one way or the other. Even their friendship felt lukewarm at best.

 _Ah_ , she thought miserably, _the true challenge of fiction writers everywhere. To create something from nothing, and turn it into something beautiful._

That was hard enough to do with original characters, but for already existing characters and real life people, who already had set personalities and lives? It would take nothing short of a miracle to write a Dapple fanfiction that held up to Holly's personal standards.

Holly gave a small start as the door clicked open, and she turned her head to offer her sister a half-hearted smile in greeting. Poppy raised one eyebrow as she tossed her purse to the side and sort of catapulted herself onto Holly's bed.

"What's the face?" Poppy asked dryly, nudging her sister's knee with her arm.

"What face?" Holly asked defensively.

Her twin rolled her eyes. "Please," she said. "That little 'smile' made me feel like a thousand puppies just died." She eyed Holly's tablet. "Writer's block?"

Holly groaned and fell back onto the multitude of pillows stacked at the head of her bed. "How do I make Dapple believable?"

"Dapple?" Poppy asked, frowning.

This time, Holly rolled her eyes at her hopelessly out-of-touch sister. "Daring and Apple," she elaborated.

Poppy snorted, then began to laugh outright. "Daring? And Apple? As a couple, right?" she spluttered through her laughter. " _Please_ , you'd have better luck shipping Apple with Raven and Daring with himself."

"I _know_ that," Holly said, exasperated. "But I should stick with mainstream pairings, at least to begin with, if I want my fanfiction to get popular and to start getting requests."

Poppy rolled onto her stomach and looked up at her sister seriously. "Why does it matter if your stuff is super popular?" Holly opened her mouth to answer exactly that, but Poppy held up a hand to silence her. "I know it's important to get the views and all, but isn't it more important for the work to be _good_? I'm no writer or anything, but I can't imagine being able to do my best writing for a pairing that I can't see even when I squint."

Poppy grabbed the tablet from Holly's hands and opened up to the blog and the introduction Holly had posted several days prior. "I mean, seriously. You promised 'new' and 'shocking' and…I don't even want to know what 'scary' is referring to," Holly giggled at this, "But you get my point, right? What's 'new' or 'shocking' or even halfway interesting about _Dapple_?" The shorter haired twin handed the MirrorPad back to her sister, who took it hesitantly. "Write what you feel, Holly. Write brilliant shit like you do, and the reviews and popularity and all that? It'll come without you even trying."

"Language," Holly chastised mildly, though she was smiling at her sister. "Thanks, Poppy."

"No prob, little sis," Poppy replied, reaching over to tousle Holly's hair. The younger O'Hair twin ducked out of the way and shot her sister a warning look. Both girls knew better than to mess with the other's hair. Poppy laughed and hopped off the bed.

"So, guess who I got stuck with for that stupid play-acting crap in Damsel-in-Distressing?"

"Who?" Holly asked, an idea already forming in her head based solely on Poppy's disgusted tone.

"Duchess," her twin ground out, rolling her eyes to the heavens. "She kept nagging me and telling me I wasn't being 'knightly' enough. So she decides to _show_ me, right?"

Holly hemmed and hawed and nodded where she was supposed to as her twin continued to rant about Duchess Swan, all the while her brain was working furiously.

She couldn't work with Dapple, because there was simply nothing there.

 _But_ , she thought, watching her sister grow more and more worked up just repeating the incident, _she could work with hate_.

* * *

 **A Simple Love Story (or, The Princess and the Peasant)**

 **By Holly O'Hair**

Duchess Swan had always been a selfish girl.

You couldn't blame her, of course—cursed with an unhappily ever after and always coming in second, be it in matters of life or love.

It wasn't as if she had a bad life at all—being born the daughter of a baron and baroness was certainly nothing to sneeze at, especially compared to the majority of the people in the kingdom, who lived as peasants or worse.

But there's something about always coming in second—always _just_ missing, always _almost_ there—that starts to grate on a person over time. And it changes them.

And it made Duchess selfish and possessive of the few things that she could call hers, like her clothes and her belongings (silly things, like brushes or old stuffed bears).

One day, when she was out in the city, Duchess noticed a girl.

There was nothing particularly _abnormal_ about this girl. She was pretty, but not disarmingly so. She wasn't particularly tall, like Duchess, but she wasn't short, either. In fact, the most distinguishing feature this girl seemed to possess was her fiery red hair, which was cut fashionably short, with longer bangs framing her face.

But there was something _about_ her, something that had Duchess purposefully 'forgetting' things and passing by the shop where the girl was working multiple times for just a second's glance at this curious girl.

It wasn't until the fifth pass-by (when people were starting to give her funny looks) that Duchess realized what it was that was so unusual about this girl. Her _smile_. Duchess had never seen a person smile so widely, or so genuinely, for no apparent reason. It was…disarming, to say the least.

"Can I help you?"

Duchess gave a decidedly unlady-like squawk at the voice and whirled around, coming face-to-face with the girl she'd been observing (stalking). The girl was leaning forward, arms folded on the wooden counter, regarding Duchess with a mix of amusement and confusion. At the taller girl's outburst, the girl's eyes crinkled in laughter.

Duchess narrowed her eyes and raised herself to her full height, which was decidedly taller than the other girl. Still, the blue-green eyes merely followed her face, watching her with calm interest. "You startled me," she huffed, unnecessarily.

"Yeah, I got that," the girl said with a grin. "Sorry about that, it wasn't on purpose. I just saw you pass by like ten times—"

"Four!" Duchess snapped, face coloring.

"And I didn't know if you were looking for something or what," the girl continued, ignoring her. She regarded Duchess for a long moment. "Have I seen you somewhere before?"

Jaw working in indignation, Duchess puffed out her chest. "I happen to be the daughter of the baroness Odette, _peasant_!" she snapped haughtily. The girl raised her eyebrows and held her hands up in submission.

"Okay, wow, sorry," she said, not sounding sorry at all. "I'm Poppy O'Hair. My sister and I run a shop here during the week." Poppy jerked her head toward the shop behind her. Then her face took on a mischievous look that Duchess wasn't entirely sure she liked. "And _you_ were stalking me."

" _Observing_!" Duchess snapped instantly, giving herself away in the process. Realizing what she had done, she flushed, her temper rising. How dare this peasant speak to her like this? Like they were _equals_ or something! Like the daughter of a baroness would ever deign to watch the lives of lowly peasants. "And I wasn't."

"Right," Poppy replied, laughter evident in her voice. "Well, if you ever feel in the mood to slum it with the peasants again," Duchess made a face, "you should come by our shop. We do hair. And you look like you get yours done a lot."

Duchess's hand rose to finger her ebony locks subconsciously. She'd always been rather self-conscious of the natural white highlights in her hair.

"I think lavender would look beautiful on you."

Duchess blinked, then turned her attention back to Poppy, who was watching her with an unreadable expression. "What?" she asked, dumbly.

"Lavender. For your hair," the other girl explained. "You've got really pretty highlights—they're natural, right?" Duchess nodded slowly. "I think lavender would look nice with them."

For a long moment, Duchess simply stared at this girl. Nobody had ever complimented her so freely, so casually, and yet the words had come so easily from this near-stranger, like it was just common knowledge.

"I think you'd better go now, though," Poppy said, pulling Duchess from her thoughts. Duchess frowned, something akin to _hurt_ stabbing at her chest. Then she chastised herself for caring about what some peasant she'd just met thought of her.

"I'll do what I please," she replied coolly, and, to her shock and minor offense, Poppy laughed. "What, may I ask, is so funny?"

"I just meant, it looks like that guy over there is waiting for you," Poppy replied, nodding to some point behind Duchess. The taller girl whirled around, and saw Sparrow, one of her guards (and her only friend) waiting impatiently for her by her carriage.

"Oh," she said, lamely, feeling her face redden. She turned to go, but stopped when she heard Poppy call out behind her.

"Hey, I meant it," the redhead said, still leaning against the counter. "Stop by some time."

Duchess stared at her for a long moment. Then, remembering herself, she huffed and whirled around, marching purposefully towards Sparrow and the carriage, pretending she couldn't hear Poppy's infectious laugh ringing out behind her.

 **PGBR**

It was exactly one week later that Duchess found herself sitting in a chair at Poppy and her sister's salon, with Poppy's skilled fingers running through her hair.

"So you came back."

"As you can see, my hair needs quite a bit of maintenance," Duchess replied stiffly. "I came because I needed it done."

"But you came _here_."

Poppy winked playfully at Duchess as she reached for the lavender hair dye that Duchess had requested, and once again, Duchess found herself blushing like a child.

 **PGBR**

"I hate royal balls," Duchess confided in Poppy as the two of them sat in the shop after hours, Poppy cross-legged on the floor and Duchess in a chair across from her, wearing a faraway expression.

"Why?" Poppy asked, cocking her head. "Seems like your kind of thing. Being nobility and all." She winked at Duchess, who rolled her eyes, having gotten used to Poppy's teasing over time.

"Oh, I love the affair itself," Duchess replied. "And the dancing—god, I _love_ the dancing—but it's just…" She broke off, frowning over Poppy's head, at the wall behind them.

"Just…what?" The shorter girl prompted, tapping Duchess's foot with her own.

Duchess pursed her lips, her foot jiggling in irritation. And then she burst. "Just, every time I go to a ball and see someone I might be interested in, or I think might be interested in me, someone else steals him! I mean, last time there was this gorgeous prince and we were getting along _so well_ and then her _majesty_ Apple White dances in and it's like I don't even exist!" she cried, without taking a single breath. Then, as an afterthought, she muttered bitterly, "And it's pointless anyway because everyone knows she doesn't even care for gentlemen, if you know what I mean."

Poppy watched Duchess as she spoke—watched the emotions fly across her face to finally settle on something the other girl clearly thought was disinterest. But the downcast angle of her eyes and the downward curl of her full lips indicated far more than her words.

"Would you teach me?"

Duchess blinked, pulled from her thoughts, and looked back down at Poppy, who, in turn, was looking up at her, expression blank. "Teach you…what?" she asked, slowly, frowning slightly.

"You said you loved the dancing," Poppy said, getting to her feet and holding her hand out to Duchess. "Will you teach me?"

Duchess stared at the proffered hand for a long moment. Several possible nasty, hurtful replies flew through her brain, replies that she had offered countless times at countless balls to countless suitors. But instead she found herself taking Poppy's hand and allowing her to lift her to her feet.

"Okay."

 **PGBR**

As the months went by, Duchess began noticing an alarming pattern in her own behavior.

Until recently, she would make any excuse not to venture down into the city. Now, she found herself making the trip three times a week or more, always to the same place, the little hair salon where Poppy worked. She would find herself inviting the girl to go horse-riding with her, or to go on a late-night walk to watch the stars.

More disturbing than any of this, however, was the growing urge she felt to be close to Poppy in any way, shape or form. This urge, she recognized, and dreaded. Because it always started with this urge, and ended with Duchess shutting herself in her room, pretending like she wasn't crying her eyes out over some stupid boy who wanted someone else.

It also brought out her selfishness, and with the selfishness came the possessiveness. This was made evident one day, when Duchess ventured into town, with the intent of asking Poppy if she'd like to share a picnic lunch. She saw Poppy standing outside of the salon, and a smile began to form on her full lips…at least until she looked slightly to Poppy's left and realized that she talking to Sparrow, of all people, who seemed to be in full-on lecher mode.

The reaction was instant—Duchess's blood went from unnoticed flowing in her veins to boiling like magma at the sight of this boy so close to Poppy. And Poppy was _laughing_! Sparrow wasn't _funny_! And more than that, that smile was meant to be reserved for Duchess…

The taller girl stormed over to the pair and, without hesitation, shoved Sparrow away, into the cobblestone street. "Go do your job!" she snapped. Sparrow made to argue, something he could usually get away with as Duchess's friend as well as her guard, but the fire in her eyes was something even he wasn't willing to brave. Once he had slouched off, Duchess turned to face Poppy, who was looking wide-eyed between Duchess and Sparrow's retreating back.

"Um, what was that about?" she asked.

Duchess scoffed. "Here." She shoved the picnic basket into Poppy's hands. "Sorry Sparrow had to go do his _job_. I'm sure you would have loved to share it with him," she spat, arms folded protectively over her chest, eyes looking anywhere but at the girl in front of her. She desperately wanted— _needed_ —to take Poppy in her arms and somehow _claim_ her, ensure that something else she loved wasn't stolen from her, but she knew better.

Wait…loved…? When had it become love?

"Duchess…" Poppy's voice was low, and not accusatory, as Duchess had expected. "Why did you get so mad just then?" The shorter girl took a brave step toward the sulking, conflicted noble, raising her hand to brush some of the ebony hair out of her face.

Duchess didn't reply right away, determinedly looking in the other direction. But when Poppy's soft, gentle hand dropped all pretenses and moved to cup her cheek, her eyes darted to Poppy's as if drawn by a magnet.

"I…he...he had a job to do and he…" Poppy raised one eyebrow, and Duchess sighed heavily. "I'm always having the things I…care for taken from me," she said, softly, eyes painfully glued to Poppy's blue-green orbs. "I just…I'm just…I don't want you…with him," she finished, and looked away from Poppy, pouting.

She couldn't bring herself to say the words, but Poppy seemed to know what she meant. A smile, more dazzling than any before it, bloomed on her face as gentle but insistent fingers moved from Duchess's cheek to the back of her head and pulled her in impossibly close.

 **PGBR**

The hill above the town was perfect for stargazing. Far enough from the lights and higher than even the tallest trees below it, there was nothing to obscure the view of the hundreds of thousands of stars twinkling far above the world.

Such a beautiful sight right before her eyes, and all Duchess could do was marvel in how those stars lit Poppy's face in a way the sun never could.

"What are you staring at?" the redhead asked, eyeing Duchess out of the corner of her eyes.

"You," Duchess replied, not thinking.

Poppy laughed out loud, though it sounded more nervous and tittery than her usual infectious laugh. "God, you were such a bitch when I first met you," she said, rolling over on her side to face the taller girl. "Are you sure you're the same person? You don't have, like, an evil twin or something? It's not some royal conspiracy, is it?"

Duchess rolled her eyes heavily and flicked Poppy on the forehead, causing the girl to yelp. It was with a gentle smile, though, that she leaned over and pressed a tender kiss to the same spot a moment later. Her hand moved to rest on Poppy's waist, and she pressed her forehead against the other girl's, her eyes closed as she took in her presence.

"I was…bitter," she said after a long moment, her breath ghosting over Poppy's lips, and she allowed a subtle smirk when the other girl shuddered slightly beneath her hand. "Every second, every day of my life, I've come in second to someone else. But you…you make me feel special." She felt herself burning up, and was glad for the night, which shielded the undoubtedly luminescent blush she was now sporting. She'd never been the type to talk about her feelings. "I'm sorry," she said after a pause. "I'm always getting jealous over nothing and I probably always will, and I know I get bitchy when…I can't help it, it's just how I _am_."

Poppy gazed at her for a long moment, until Duchess grew self-conscious and averted her own eyes. Then she felt a warm hand come to rest on her cool cheek, and forced herself to meet Poppy's gaze once again. "Don't apologize," Poppy said, her thumb rubbing soothing circles over Duchess's cool skin. "Don't ever apologize for being yourself. I love you exactly as you are. Never apologize for that."

Duchess felt the telltale hot, prickling pressure and squeezed her eyelids shut, hard, willing the tears back. "I love you, too," she said, after a period of silence, feeling as though it needed to be said.

She felt more than saw Poppy grin. "Even though I'm a peasant? I thought you had taste."

"I do," Duchess replied in a faux haughty voice. "I have _impeccable_ taste," she whispered, tilting her head just slightly and closing the distance between them.

Poppy's arms wound around her neck felt like safety, and trust, and everything Duchess had ever longed for. And her lips…Duchess could have spent forever just _kissing_ them, wrapped around each other like this.

But eventually they had to pull away for air, and Poppy settled her head against Duchess's chest, the latter's arms still tight around her, as if she was just a little bit afraid to let go.

 **PGBR**

"Hey, Duchess?"

"Mmm...?" the girl in question hummed in response, fingers tracing an endless pattern over Poppy's warm thigh, reveling in the weight on the other girl in her lap.

"I think this kind of goes without saying," Poppy began awkwardly, glad her head was tucked into the crook of the taller girl's neck, where Duchess couldn't see her blush, "but…you've always been first for me, ever since I met you. And you always will be." There was a long silence, and Poppy pulled away slightly, embarrassed. "I know it sounds corny, but—"

She never finished her sentence—Duchess's lips had found hers before she had a chance, and after the first hot, desperate kiss, Poppy quite forgot what she'd meant to say.

* * *

" _Holly_!"

Holly whipped around, her demeanor reminiscent of a squirrel, as she recognized her twin's angry shout. "Crap," she muttered, attempting (unsuccessfully) to hide behind her hair before giving up and using the confused Briar and Apple, whom she'd been talking to, as human shields. "H-hey, Poppy!" she stuttered, attempting to school her features into a casual smile. But her lips were shaking and her hand was balled up in Briar's stylish cardigan. "What's…what's up, my beloved sister?"

"Really, Holly? _Really_?" Poppy snapped, growling in frustration at not being able to get to her sister. "After I gave you awesome advice and everything?"

Briar raised an eyebrow, looking between the twins, one furious and as red in the face as in the hair, the other shaking like a leaf and cowering behind her. "What's going on?" she asked, in a rather bored tone that wasn't really suited to the severity of the situation.

"I'll tell you what's going on!" Poppy seethed, pointing an accusatory finger at her sister. "My 'beloved sister' that you're currently shielding wrote a fanfiction about me!"

This time, Apple spoke, her pretty features contorted in confusion. "But Holly's a hexcellent writer," she said, shooting a dazzling smile at the long-haired O'Hair, who managed a shaky smile in thanks, before directing her attention back to Poppy. "Why are you upset about that?"

"Ooooh, ohoho!" Poppy laughed, a bit maniacally, "but you don't know _who_ she paired me with in this fanfiction of hers! If she thinks _she's_ in for it, it's _nothing_ compared to what I'm going to get if—"

But she was cut off mid-sentence by a shrill voice, half-screeching, half-honking from across the courtyard.

" _Poppy O'Hair_!"

Several students leapt out of the way as a furious, red-faced Duchess Swan stalked across the lawn towards the group of girls.

Poppy's head had whipped around at the sound of her name. "Shit!" she hissed, taking a reflexive step back out of pure fear of the tall ballerina making a beeline for her. "See what you did?" she snapped at Holly, who just shrugged apologetically, eyes darting between her twin and Duchess, whose feathers were practically standing on end.

"What the _hex_ is _this_?!" Duchess demanded as she came to a stop inches from Poppy, shaking several sheets of paper in the red-head's face. Duchess's face was redder than Apple's dress, either from fury or embarrassment, and Poppy honestly wasn't sure which she preferred.

"Um…paper?" Poppy tried, aiming for cute with a nervous shrug.

"Not the _paper_ , you idiot!" Duchess squawked, forgetting to lower her voice. "What's _on_ the paper!"

"Look, Duchess, I had nothing to do with this, okay? You're overreacting, anyway. Just calm down and—"

"Calm down? _Overreacting?!_ The whole _school_ is talking about us and our _illicit relationship_!" she shrieked, gesturing wildly and tugging fitfully at her hair. It was obvious to anyone watching that she was seconds from going full swan-mode, and as much as she annoyed Poppy, the redhead didn't want her to suffer further social mortification if she had a full-on meltdown.

"Okay, okay, look," she said, grabbing Duchess by the shoulders. The taller girl whipped her head around and wide brown eyes met teal. "Deep breaths, okay? In…out…in…out…"

Duchess nodded, taking in exaggerated breaths along with Poppy's prompting. "Oh, hex, this is going to _destroy_ my reputation…"

As tempted as she was to ask Duchess what reputation she was referring to (because the only one she could think of was the bitter, spiteful bitch one and surely that wasn't it), Poppy thought better of it and placed a steady hand on the girl's lower back. "I'm going to take you back to your dorm, okay?" she asked, slowly and clearly, and Duchess nodded feverishly. Inside, Poppy was groaning—this certainly wasn't going to help dispel the rumors that were already flying around, if the looks she was getting from some of her classmates were anything to go by.

As she led Duchess past the other girls, Poppy narrowed her eyes at her twin and pointed two fingers at her eyes, and then pointed at Holly.

Once Duchess and Poppy had disappeared into the school, Holly let out a faint moan and let herself fall back against Briar, who wasn't even trying to hide her amusement.

"Well, you've got to admit they'd be hot together," she said through the piercing silence. Apple looked over at her friend in a mixture of shock and awe. Briar, catching her look, frowned. "What? They totally would be! And I've always thought Duchess just needed one _really_ good—"

" _Okay_!" Apple interrupted, clapping her hands together enthusiastically as she spun on her heel to face the still somewhat terrified Holly. "Well, that could have possibly gone better…but at least everyone's reading your fanfiction, right?" she asked, forever trying to look on the positive side.

"Yeah…yeah, you're right!" Holly said, her posture shifting and her expression of terror slowly becoming one of joy. "They are! I hope people will start sending in requests soon!"

"I'm sure they will," Briar said, stretching her arms out languidly above her head with a yawn. "If there's one thing we've got in spades here at EAH, it's UST."

"UST?" Apple asked, frowning, clearly lost. "What's that?"

Briar gave Apple a meaningful look. "I would think you, of all people, would know the answer to that one," she replied dryly. Holly giggled, but Apple just continued to look confused as they headed off in the same direction Duchess and Poppy had disappeared in.

"Seriously, guys, what does that stand for?"

* * *

 **GOD. That turned into a BEAST.**

 **I really hope this chapter was okay, especially the fic part, because I'm not used to fics within fics! Or one-shots with actual plot D: Should I do AU? Should I change names? It's awkward, but I really did try :( After this I promise it'll get better! And I do intend to work actual (canon to this story) pairings in as well, which will probably gradually become a bigger part of the story, so there's that.**

 **Please give me your thoughts on the chapter and your ideas for potential fanfics if you have any in the reviews!**


	3. Two: The Rapple Revolution

**Hey guys! First I want to thank you SO MUCH for your support for the previous chapter! I hope you guys find this chapter up to par as well, though I'm similarly conflicted about it. It's three in the morning here, and I have to be up by at LEAST six, so that's all I got for now. I'll probably think of something I should replace in a few hours when I have no internet :/**

 **Please enjoy and leave a review :)**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Two: The Rapple Revolution**

* * *

It was with greatly increased confidence that Holly sat down to write her next fanfiction, several days after the first.

She had never in her wildest shipper dreams imagined the success and subsequent following she had gained from her very first posted fanfiction (one that utilized such a seemingly 'unshippable' pairing, at that!). This, Holly thought gravely to herself, must be the Darkhorse Effect. Every shipper worth their salt knew that sometimes the best/most popular pairings are made by the pairing of two incredibly unlikely characters. Of course, that wasn't all there was to it—Holly could write a fic starring the forbidden love between Headmaster Grimm and the Evil Queen, but she rather doubted it would be quite so well-received.

The Evil Queen and _Snow White_ , on the other hand…

Holly shook her head. Now was not the time for saucy one-shots exploring the possibilities of long-lost forbidden loves that may or may not have been (no matter how tempting said plot bunny was).

The clatter of a plastic tray against artificial wood startled Holly, successfully ripping her from her thoughts. Poppy plopped down beside her, looking rather sullen and unsociable. Being her twin, Holly thought little of the potential danger.

"What's got you in such a gloomy mood?" Holly asked, eyeing her short-haired twin as she stabbed at her salad.

Poppy lifted her head and gave Holly a long, scathing look before going back to her salad (or mutilation thereof).

"Oh, you're not still mad about that thing with Duchess, are you?" Holly asked, rolling her eyes. "Nobody _actually_ thinks you guys are together."

There was a long silence, and then…

" _I know_!" Poppy finally burst, causing Holly to jump. "And that's the damn problem! Everyone's just teasing her about it to piss her off, you know, get her honking or whatever, and she keeps taking it out on _me_! Like it's _my_ fault the idiots who go here think she and I are compatible!"

" _Weeell_ …"

"Don't _you_ start," Poppy growled, cutting her sister off. She knew all too well how Holly could get about her 'ships', and the last thing she needed was her own twin bugging her about Duchess Swan. "There is not now, nor was there ever, nor will there ever _be anything_ between myself and Duchess Swan!" She raised her voice as she continued to speak, so that by the time she was finished, half of the cafeteria was staring at her. Poppy groaned and sank her head between her hands. "God, we don't even have anything in _common._ You people are fucking weird," she mumbled.

"Poppy!"

" _Uuuugh_ ," Poppy groaned, loudly and dramatically as the purposeful clicking of heels approached their table. "What _now_?" she snarked, turning to face the tall, lithe figure of Duchess Swan, who was standing next to her, casting quite the intimidating shadow. "You know, you singling me out all the time isn't doing anything to quell those rumors you're so tied up over."

Duchess flushed a rather magnificent maroon color, and stiffened, looking on the verge of a nasty comeback for a moment. But then she relaxed (slightly) and huffed. "It's not about _that_ ," she stated, not meeting Poppy's eyes, and instead glancing left and right, as if expecting someone to be listening in. Which wasn't an entirely unfounded move these days, thanks to Holly and her stupid fanfiction. "I need your help with…something."

Poppy raised a dubious eyebrow.

"I'm serious!" Duchess half-squawked, half-whispered, arms folding defensively over her chest. "Just…just come here!"

And, to Poppy's shock, long, slender fingers curled around her wrist and she was quite literally yanked from her seat and marched toward the castleteria doors by the ballerina.

"What the fu—let me go!"

"Oh, just shut up and walk!"

Holly raised her eyebrows at the scene and, smiling (only a little bit smugly), turned back to her tablet. Nothing between them, right.

 _But nothing is ever canon…until it is._

Her smile lingered as her eyes fell back to her screen, and then turned into a determined set of her lips.

 _Back to work._

She pursed her lips and looked around the castleteria, surveying her options. She could, of course, use any number of literary or media-invented characters, but things were just so much more…interesting when she used her classmates.

Her eyes fell on one pair of individuals in particular, and she felt her shipper heart skip a beat. Apple White had apparently taken it upon herself to ensure that Raven Queen was getting her daily nutrition—or, at least, that was all Holly could innocently presume given the scene before her. The future Queen of Ever After (and Mrs. Daring Charming) was currently holding a fork with some kind of vegetable speared upon it out to her future Evil Queen (and nemesis), mouth moving in a way that indicated she was telling Raven to open her mouth. For her part, Raven was leaning away from the blonde, though probably mostly out of embarrassment, given the furious, almost pure red hue that her normally pale face that taken on.

 _Hmmm._

The Evil Queen and Ever After's current Queen may have been off the table, but their daughters…well, that was another story, entirely. One that Holly knew for a fact many of her friends (given the knowing looks the two were garnering from their friends around them) would be _very_ interested in reading.

* * *

 **Learning Curve**

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a beautiful princess.

And she was, truly, beautiful. Long, loosely curled blonde locks framed a sweet, heart-shaped face and complimented smooth, fair skin and dazzling blue eyes. Far rarer than her physical appearance, her beauty extended beyond what was outside, as she possessed a kind and empathetic heart.

And yet, for all the princess's perfections, she was somewhat less than flawless. The princess, you see, had a tendency to be a bit ignorant about the world outside of her castle, and she often had a hard time seeing through others' eyes.

She had been raised to be a princess and a queen, and nothing less, since the day she'd said her first word. She'd been engaged to the young prince of a neighboring kingdom since the day she could walk. Some may have found this kind of life tedious, or even unbearable, but not her. She loved the dresses and the balls and was certain she would come to love her prince, as well, though her heart never hammered as if it were about to burst from her chest the way her ladies in waiting all described.

She was perfectly happy, really.

But it took her all of sixteen years to realize that she didn't really know herself at all.

 **PGBR**

Princess Apple White first met Raven Queen at a royal banquet hosted by the former's mother and father. The pale, dark-haired girl was the daughter of an esteemed sorceress with whom the royal family sought to make nice.

Apple wasn't sure why, but ever since she had first laid eyes upon the girl, it was as though she was physically unable to look away. Raven hadn't held herself with the confidence of her mother; rather, for the entirety of the introductions, she looked as if she wanted to run and hide. She'd held herself steady enough, but her eyes were like windows, and Apple could see clearly that the girl would rather be anywhere but there.

So Apple, being the kind-hearted princess that she was, pulled her away to her own personal chambers as soon as was politely acceptable. Raven had been reluctant at first, wide-eyed and fidgeting as Apple had pulled her from the grand dining hall, but when they arrived in Apple's room and the princess bade her have a seat on her bed, she appeared at least somewhat relieved.

"You didn't seem very happy down there," Apple said, gently. "I thought you might be more comfortable up here."

It was when Raven smiled up at her (a small, hesitant smile that was somehow nervous and grateful all at once) that she felt it.

Apple couldn't name 'it' for the life of her. But she felt it. Something had awoken inside of her at the sight of that smile. Apple had felt an instant desire to protect and care for this quiet girl who was so unlike her mother—that, she understood. But there was something else that had awoken at the sight of that smile, something warm and fluttery and quite pleasant that Apple had never felt before in her life.

She brushed it aside with a flip of blonde locks. It had gone as quickly as it had come, as soon as the smile faded into something less emotionally charged, and Apple gave it no further thought.

 **PGBR**

It didn't take long for Apple and Raven to become great friends (mainly because Apple was incredibly persistent and Raven found it hard to weasel out of her insistent attempts at involving her). The two slowly became inseparable, though the union between their parents was tense at best.

Apple loved being friends with Raven. As a princess, of course, she had many friends—Briar Beauty and Ashlynn Ella were among her closest—but the strict rules regarding conduct for teenage nobility had always kept her from having as much fun as she'd wanted. With Raven, who wasn't technically nobility, though her mother's position gave her a high standing by default, she could be more relaxed, and they could be closer than Apple could ever be with her other friends.

And Apple loved being close. She loved holding Raven's hand and clinging to her arm when they went out on walks through the town. She couldn't get enough of that feeling that she had gotten when they had first met, the feeling that she now got whenever she cuddled up to Raven or (especially) on the rarer occasions when Raven would initiate contact. She told herself this was normal between friends. She saw female friends holding hands all the time on their walks, and imagined they must do it because it felt so good to them, too.

And then one day, Apple had gone in to cuddle into Raven after a day spend horse-back riding through the pastures, and Raven had pulled away and looked down at her with a somewhat nervous expression. Apple sat up, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What's wrong?" she asked, reaching out to touch Raven's hand in concern. The taller, shyer girl fidgeted beneath her and bit her lip, though Apple could see that she wasn't upset. Rather, she seemed…excited, and nervous all at once.

"I met someone," Raven revealed, her voice whisper-soft as if telling a secret. Apple blinked, confused, and then her eyes widened.

"You…you did?" she asked, not understanding at all why it felt as though someone had grabbed a hold of her heart with both hands and was twisting it apart. "Who?" she asked, forcing herself to assume an encouraging expression, one that she usually took when her other friends would come to her with similar news. Although it hadn't hurt like this when Ashlynn had told her about finding true love with a peasant named Hunter… "What is he like?"

Raven flushed, smiling shyly. Apple felt sick. "His name is Dexter, he's—"

"Dexter Charming?!" Apple cut in, sitting up straight. Dexter. Daring's younger brother. Second in line to the throne. Shy, sweet, a little bit awkward, but a gentleman at heart…he was perfect for Raven. Apple's eyes felt hot.

"Um, yeah," Raven said, slightly confused by Apple's exclamation. "We met at the gala last week. I was walking through the gardens, because it had gotten really overwhelming, and he found me. We talked for a while and…" She trailed off, biting her lip to try (and fail) to contain her shy smile.

Apple's heart sank as she was forcibly reminded of the time Raven smiled like that for her. Still, she forced what could have been an award-winning smile and told Raven she was happy for her.

That was the first lie Apple ever told.

 **PGBR**

Apple still didn't know why her heart hurt whenever Raven talked about Dexter, or why she wanted desperately to punch something (more often than not Dexter's face) when she saw the two of them together.

In fact, it wasn't until Raven fell sobbing into Apple's arms, tearfully announcing that she and Dexter had broken up, that Apple did anything about it at all. And even then, it wasn't as if she thought it through, or planned it out at all.

They sat side by side on Apple's large, plush bed, Raven's head resting heavily against the blonde's shoulder as she explained in broken sentences what had happened. From what Apple could discern between coughs and sobs, she and Dexter had been on the rocks for quite some time. Dexter had been very sweet and patient, but every time he tried to advance their relationship, Raven had spooked and pulled away. It had, surprisingly, been Raven who had ended it, having felt terrible, afraid she was leading him on, and she was upset because she didn't know _why_

It wasn't the right time. It wasn't the right place. Raven was devastated and Apple was meant to be a shoulder to cry on, a friend to help put the pieces back together.

But when Raven looked up at her, her face stained with lines of black from where her mascara had run, eyes swimming with unshed tears, her features so sad and broken, Apple completely lost all semblance of self-control. The arm that had been wrapped snugly around Raven's waist tightened, and Apple turned her head just slightly down and to the right, so that all she could see were those beautiful violet eyes.

And Apple White, fair and kind and beautiful princess Apple White, who'd learned to dance before she could walk, who'd been engaged to prince Daring Charming for just as long, kissed Raven Queen on those beautiful, quivering lips.

 **PGBR**

Apple White was raised to be the perfect princess since the day she was born. She was groomed in frilly dresses and brought up in ballrooms. She knew who and what she was supposed to be before she could speak the words to say it aloud.

She didn't begin discover who she actually was until sixteen years later, when she met Raven Queen, and it took another two years after that, fraught with tears and happiness and jealousy and confusion, for the journey to be complete.

Now that Apple was a little older, she realized that happily ever after wasn't as set in stone as it had seemed back when she was a little girl, and that 'supposed to be' isn't quite the same as 'meant to be'. She learned that nobody is guaranteed a happily ever after, no matter how much effort is put into making it happen, because happily ever after is different for everyone. And Apple's happily ever after never had anything to do with Daring Charming.

 **PGBR**

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Raven asked. She was lying on her side on Apple's bed, next to the blonde, who was spooned into the curve of her stomach.

"I almost ruined everything," Apple said, so quietly that Raven almost didn't hear it. The dark-haired girl frowned.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, brushing long, golden locks out of the princess's pretty face.

"It took me forever to realize how I felt about you," Apple said, finally turning to face Raven, and the taller girl saw the pain written plainly in her blue eyes. "I was so stupid—I thought Daring Charming was my true love just because my parents told me he was." Her expression was desperate as she looking searchingly into Raven's eyes. "And you…I almost lost you. All because I was so focused on what I thought…what I assumed was my happily ever after."

The last statement was so quiet that Raven had to lean even closer to hear it. When she did, her lips curved into a fond smile and she pressed a kiss to Apple's forehead. "Sometimes life just works out like that," she replied, brushing Apple's bangs out of her eyes with a gentle movement of her hand. "Not everything comes easily. And…," Raven's smile twitched slightly, into something more resembling a smirk, "that makes things a lot more interesting, don't you think?"

Apple gave a tearful laugh and launched herself forward, knocking Raven onto her back, dark hair splayed across the pillows beneath her as the blonde peppered her face with kisses. They were wet, and salty from her tears, but Raven pulled her closer all the same, and tilted Apple's chin until blue eyes met violet for a moment and then closed, and frantic, grateful kisses against pale skin became long, slow kisses against lips.

* * *

Holly leaned back to survey her work. Then her eyes flitted to the corner of her screen and she winced. Three in the morning, and she had Grimmnastics first thing. Coach Gingerbreadman had been known to assign extra laps in the double digits when he felt the students weren't performing up to par.

Groaning, the redhead fell back onto her four-poster and forced her eyes closed, willing herself to fall asleep.

Of course, as we all know, the one way to ensure that one does not fall asleep is by attempting to force oneself into sleep, and Holly soon found herself staring up at the ceiling, wondering just how many laps she could do on no sleep.

Sitting up, her eyes fell on Poppy, or at least, what she imagined to be Poppy. There was a Poppy-sized lump underneath the covers of the bed across from her, at least. Vaguely, she wondered what Duchess had wanted with her sister earlier. She hadn't had a chance to ask her during class, and Poppy had disappeared after school let out, and not reappeared until well after dark, when Holly was deeply engaged in writing, something not even an atomic bomb could pull her from.

With the distinct feeling that she may be watching one of her ships leave the harbor pretty soon, Holly fell back against her pillows. She stared at the ceiling until it began to swim before her eyes, and her thoughts became jumbled and nonsensical, and after a few minutes, Holly was fast asleep.

* * *

 **Blah. That's how I feel about this particular fanfic. But I hope you guys like it. It's hard to write the fanfiction from Holly's point of view while simultaneously thinking about the canon pairings I want to arise, and how I need to make the scenarios different :P**

 **Also, freimesis isn't a word. I think it should be, though. I mean, for those occasions when 'frienemy' just doesn't cut it.**

 **Next chapter: Holly gets…distracted…and we learn what Duchess needed Poppy's help with…**

 **Please remember to leave a review, and I'll see you guys next time! :)**


	4. Three: Distractions and Dancing

**Thank you so much for the awesome reviews guys! I used to post replies to reviews in my fanfiction, but I realized it cluttered everything up and probably nobody cared to begin with xP So I'll just say thank you very much for your awesome reviews and support, you guys have seriously motivated me! Here's the next chapter—this one focuses a bit on Holly's life, and also on what's going on with Poppy and Duchess!**

 **Please enjoy and leave a review :)**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Three: Distractions and Dancing**

* * *

If Creative Storytelling was Holly's favorite class, Grimmnastics had to be her least. She could hardly do the mandatory five laps around the field without gaining a stabbing stitch in her chest and losing her breath.

So it went without saying that during field days, where the students were free to do as they liked as long as they stayed outside, Holly preferred to sit with her friends and chat while other students (mostly the boys) practiced bookball, exercised or just generally horsed around.

Today just happened to be one of these glorious days, and the conversation was mostly centered around Apple and Raven, thanks to Holly's last fanfiction. The redhead was surprised that her friends had already read her story, considering the fact that she'd only just posted it the previous night, and Grimmnastics was the first class of the day. But apparently many students checked the blogs during breakfast, before classes began, and news of Holly's latest fanfiction had spread like wildfire. She'd already gotten many compliments for her latest work from various people who, like the majority of the school, thought there was a little more to Apple's focus on her roommate than met the eye.

As it so happened, most of her (and, by defaut, Apple's) friends seemed to be among this faction.

"I kind of suspected something was up ever since she went to Headmaster Grimm and insisted he put her and Raven in the same room," Blondie was saying, leaning forward conspiratorially, which garnered several raised eyebrows.

"I thought you were all for Team Dapple, Blondie," Holly said playfully. "Ever After High's number one couple?"

Blondie waved her hand as if to brush the comment away. "I'm a reporter, I have to report what the people want to hear," she said. "But come on: 'we have all of ever after to be together'—please. I love Apple, but she's never shown an ounce of interest in Daring Charming or any boy, for that matter."

Ashlynn looked slightly uncomfortable talking about Apple without the girl being around. "I don't know—Apple's really nice, maybe she's just being nice to—"

At this, Briar scoffed. "Please, Ash, you and I both know that's not true," she said, rolling her eyes. "Look, it's not like we're talking badly about her or anything—Apple's been my best friend for more than ten years! We're talking about this because it's for her own good. You see how she looks at Raven—you'd think the sun shone out her ass."

"Briar!" Ashlynn's eyes widened at the tall brunette's language, but Briar just waved a hand casually.

"I know Apple the best of all of us, and believe me when I say that girl has absolutely no interest in the male sex."

Ashlynn sighed. As much as she hated talking about her friend while she wasn't around, she had to admit that Briar had a point. But she also remembered the way Apple had reacted when she and Hunter had gone public—if Apple really was in love with Raven, the girl had absolutely no idea. Ashlynn just hoped Apple wouldn't have a, for lack of a better term, gay crisis.

"What do you think, Holly?" Blondie asked, glancing over at the long-haired girl who had started the whole thing. "You ship them, don't you? Do you see anything between them for real?"

But Holly wasn't listening. The students who were planning to actually do some sort of physical activity had just begun to filter out of the locker rooms in more exercise appropriate clothes. Among the crowd were, of course, the Charming siblings. Daring was looking handsome in a pair of basketball shorts and a wife beater that showed off his admittedly impressive muscles, while Dexter was in a similar outfit that, similarly, showed off own his less-toned, but still nice figure, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. But Holly wasn't looking at either of them.

Joining the two boys from the direction of the girls' locker room was Darling. The female Charming was dressed in a pair of tight exercise pants and a loose hanging light blue bubble tank with an ash gray sports bra underneath. Time seemed to slow to a near standstill as Darling pulled her white-blonde locks into a high ponytail while jogging over to meet the boys. Holly's eyes were drawn like magnets to the taught arm muscles flexing beneath lightly tanned skin as the blonde worked the elastic into her hair. Then Darling turned, revealing a glimpse of her tantalizingly bare torso through the loose top, and Holly felt faint when she saw something that could have been the beginnings of a faint six-pack.

"Holly?"

" _Holly!_ "

Suddenly, Holly felt a burst of warm air hit the shell of her ear and, combined with the view before her, it sent a wave of pleasure mixed with shock down her spine. She shrieked, starting, and Briar pulled back, guffawing as Holly cupped her left hand protectively to her exposed ear.

"What was that for?" she asked, her face feeling as hot as her hair.

Briar waited until the other girls were finished giggling and refocused on their conversation (the topic of which having automatically shifted to which Charming brother was the most…well, charming) before leaning in closer to Holly. The redhead subconsciously pulled slightly away, which caused Briar to grin mischievously.

"So, Darling Charming, hmm?" Briar asked in a low voice, so that only the two of them could hear. Holly's face burned, if possible, even brighter.

"I don't know what you're—" Holly began, but after a pointed look from Briar, she sighed and slumped. "Is it that obvious?"

"Let's put it this way," Briar said, "I'm surprised she didn't feel your eyes fucking her upside down and side—"

"Okayokayokay!" Holly squealed, lunging forward to cover Briar's smirking lips with her hand. There was a slight awkward silence as the other girls turned to give them strange looks before returning to their conversation. Embarrassed, Holly removed her hand. "Okay, I get it," she muttered. "I'm super obvious."

"Mmm, I wouldn't say _super_ obvious," Briar mused, leaning back on her hands, long, wavy caramel and magenta locks falling over her shoulders. Holly noticed that more than a few of the boys' eyes were following Briar's movements with longing looks. It always surprised her that Briar never seemed to date for all the attention she got, and how effortlessly she mingled. "You're not as bad as Rapple."

Holly rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks," she said sarcastically. Apple was about as subtle as a horny, heterosexual male who'd mistakenly wandered into a lesbian bar. "But don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Of course I won't," Briar replied, the faintest hint of a frown marring her pretty features. Holly's heart sank—she hadn't meant to hurt Briar's feelings or imply that she didn't trust her friend.

"I'm sorry," Holly said quietly. "It's just…" Her eyes found their way back to Darling, who had just nearly single-handedly stomped a few of the other guys in a game of mock bookball. Daring clapped his brother and sister firmly on the backs in celebration, and Dexter buckled while Darling just rolled her eyes. "I know I don't have a chance with her. I don't want the whole school to know I like her on top of it."

Following her gaze, Briar shrugged. "I don't know," she said, musingly. "I wouldn't put it past Darling to hit for the home team, if you know what I mean." She shot Holly an overdone wink and nudge, and the redhead couldn't help but giggle.

Then she sighed. "That's…not exactly what I meant," she said, eyes following the Charming girl as a group of overly feminine, giggling girls surrounded her and Darling shot them all her most winsome smile.

* * *

 **Elsewhere in Ever After (Specifically in a Highly Suspect Deserted Classroom)…**

* * *

"Not like _that_! You're supposed to do it like _this_!"

"There is literally no difference between those two things you just did."

"There is a _world_ of difference!"

Poppy groaned, throwing her head back in aggravation. "Remind me _why_ the hex I'm even _here_ right now?"

Duchess drew herself to her full height. She was _not_ happy. Her hair was a mess, random strands falling out of her usually neat side-knot, and her face was red from a mixture of irritation and exhaustion. Unfortunately, this appearance served to make her markedly less intimidating as she glared the shorter girl down. "You are _here_ because you _owe me_ , O'Hair," she snarled.

Poppy laughed, humorlessly. "How do you figure?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest to match Duchess's posture. "Because I haven't done anything to you."

"This whole thing is _your fault_!" Duchess shrieked, arms shooting to her sides in self-righteous anger, her long fingers curling into fists. "These stupid rumors wouldn't be going around if it wasn't for you!"

" _Me_? If that's your reasoning, you're just as much at fault as I am, princess," Poppy snapped indignantly. "It was my sister who wrote the stupid story, not _me_! I don't owe you anything, and I'm getting the hex out of here."

She grabbed her bag from where she'd dropped it against the wall and shoved past the taller girl, not caring that her shoulder made hard contact with the ballerina's slender (though surprisingly strong) arm.

She was halfway out the door before a quiet voice called out behind her.

"Wait."

She paused, though she didn't turn around or step back into the classroom.

"… _Please._ "

Now Poppy turned, shocked by the almost pleading tone Duchess had assumed. The taller girl was holding her head high, chin raised in a defiant manner, her eyes staring over Poppy's head and to her right. Her jaw was locked, and Poppy could tell that calling after her had been a serious blow to Duchess's pride.

There was a long silence.

"Why is this so _important_ to you?" Poppy finally asked, taking a small step back into this classroom.

The day before, when Duchess had forcibly dragged Poppy out of the castleteria in front of nearly the entirety of the school, she had pulled her into a deserted classroom and abruptly demanded that Poppy dance with her. Poppy had responded by telling her that if she was trying to prove her heterosexuality, this was not the way to go about it. Of course, this had prompted a long bickering session through which nothing was resolved, and after half an hour, when the bell to signify lunch sounded with no dancing (or anything else) having been accomplished, Duchess had asked (demanded) that Poppy meet her at the same place tomorrow morning, during their shared free period.

Duchess pursed her lips, still refusing to meet Poppy's steely gaze, and crossed her arms tighter over her chest. "It's none of your business," she replied primly.

"Okay, bye—"

"Okay, okay, _fine_!" Duchess relented. She'd lunged after Poppy to grab the other girl's wrist to keep her from leaving. Poppy glanced down at Duchess's hand, then slowly moved her gaze up to meet Duchess's chocolate-brown eyes, which had, subconsciously, moved to meet hers. She was shocked to see the amount of desperation there—no wonder Duchess hadn't wanted to meet her gaze. Duchess quickly released her wrist and turned away from Poppy as she said, "There's a gala."

"Um…okay?"

Duchess huffed and rolled her eyes. "So I'll be expected to dance!" she snapped. Poppy frowned, confused.

"But…you don't need practice at dancing, right?" she asked hesitantly. "You're the best dancer in the school."

Duchess preened for a moment before appearing to remember herself and schooling her features back into a glare at Poppy. "Obviously," she snarked. "But that's on my own."

Poppy's frown deepened.

The taller girl let out a frustrated growl. "As in, not with a _partner_!" she snapped. "There will be princes my age at this particular gala, and I need to be flawless when I'm asked to dance!"

 _Ah_. So that's what it was. Much like many young teenage girls get anxious about kissing and practice with friends so that their first kiss goes perfectly, Duchess wanted to practice dancing so that she would be just as graceful on the dance floor as she was on the lake, or the stage. Except Duchess didn't have any friends (Poppy wasn't exactly sure _what_ to call her relationship with Sparrow, but was pretty sure it didn't count as real friendship, whatever it was), so Poppy was forced into being her reluctant partner.

"Well, that explains why you told me I had to 'be the boy'," Poppy deadpanned, rather anticlimactically.

Duchess rolled her eyes in response, her cheeks just barely dusted with pink. "So will you?" she asked, and though her tone was just as snappish as always, Poppy was fairly shocked that she was asking at all.

"You mean I get a choice in the matter?" she asked, sarcastically, unable to resist teasing the girl. Poppy was starting to understand why everyone was giving Duchess such a hard time over the whole 'Popchess' thing, even if she didn't appreciate it—it _was_ amusing to watch her get flustered.

Duchess huffed loudly. "Well I can't _force_ you," she snapped. But once again, her eyes had found some supremely interesting spot over Poppy's head, and Poppy felt a stab of sympathy for Duchess. Sure, she was hard to deal with, and could be quite nasty when she wanted to be, but she wasn't a bad person, not really. She was just a teenage girl, just like Poppy, who was insecure about her first partner dance.

Poppy sighed. She was more than one hundred percent positive that she was going to regret this.

"Okay," she said, slipping her bag back off of her shoulders and dropping it haphazardly onto the floor. She plopped herself down on top of one of the desks Duchess had shoved to the side and looked up at the brunette. "So, how am I supposed to do it, again?"

* * *

Apple was uncharacteristically silent at lunch.

Not that this was particularly unexpected—the one thing that Holly disliked about writing fanfiction was how awkward it could potentially make things. Still, she looked at it like art—her stories needed to be told, no matter the consequences.

Briar was doing her best to take the focus off of Apple's silence, talking about some upcoming party that weekend, but it didn't seem to be working, as every so often, someone's eyes would flick to the blonde and the conversation would stall. Finally, Holly decided that she needed to say something, since this whole thing was, technically, her fault.

"Apple…," she began, hesitantly. Apple didn't respond right away, but when she did, she lifted her head, eyes wide as if she'd just realized that Holly had spoken. "Apple, I'm sorry if I upset you, you have to know that I would never want to do that. It was just a fanfiction, I didn't mean anything by it." And this was, technically, true. Holly _hadn't_ meant anything by it. She'd seen something and she'd written a story around it—if what she saw and wrote just so happened to be true, well, that was just a plus.

"Oh, no, not at all," Apple replied, a little too cheerfully, waving her hand as if to bat away the concern. She sent Holly a smile which, though it seemed genuine, also seemed a bit distracted. "I'm completely used to people talking about me. All of the other times it's just been me and Daring, that's all. It's no different than those rumors, really. It doesn't bother me at all. After all, I'll have to get used to rumors if I'm going to be the next Snow White!" Again, Apple didn't seem to be necessarily _upset_ , but she certainly wasn't herself, and the cheerful tone she had taken on didn't seem to fit with the preoccupied look in her eyes.

"Oh…well, okay," Holly said, still watching her friend with concern. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Briar watching Apple with a knowing expression on her face, and she saw the tall brunette give Apple's leg a supportive squeeze under the table.

Holly bit her lip and turned back to her own food. She frowned down at her salad. She really didn't want to upset _any_ of her friends, and she was positive that Apple's reaction, even if it wasn't entirely what she'd expected, had to do with the fanfiction she'd written the previous day. And then there was Poppy, who was doing… _whatever it was_ with Duchess right after Holly had posted that fanfiction…

Grabbing her still half-full lunch tray, Holly headed over to the garbage bins to dump the remainder of her lunch. Suddenly, she wasn't feeling so hungry anymore.

She wrote not only for herself, but, for a large part, to make others happy. And if not that, then certainly not to _upset_ the friends she loved.

But then she thought back to what Briar had said earlier, during Grimmnastics, about how it was for Apple's own good, and about the way Apple looked at Raven. It would certainly be better for Apple if she could accept herself for who she was, not who she'd grown up expecting to be. And if anything, Holly had brought the whole thing to Apple's attention in the kindest way possible. It wasn't as if one silly fanfiction was going to out her—I mean, nobody _actually_ believed that Duchess and Poppy were together. If anything, the story would just give Apple something to think about.

And Apple certainly was thinking about it. Holly just hoped that she came to the right conclusion—something that Apple was not necessarily famous for doing on her own.

At that moment, the bell to end lunch rang, and there was suddenly a mass of bodies moving as one toward the doorway. Ducking through the crowd, Holly retrieved her bag and was about to leave when a hand wrapped around her upper arm. Startled, she whirled around, and came face to face with Briar for the second time that day.

"Um…hi," Holly said, confused.

"You're not a bad friend."

Holly blinked as the crowd continued to move through the large castleteria around them. That was one perk of being friends with Briar. When you were with one of the prettiest, most enigmatic girls in school, you didn't get jostled out of the way or shoved into walls, even by mistake. "Umm…thank you?"

Briar rolled her eyes and tugged Holly toward the door, keeping the redhead close so as not to be separated or overheard. "I saw the look on your face during lunch," she said by way of explanation. "I know Apple's acting weird, but trust me, it was going to happen eventually. Look, some people you need to be gentle with, but Apple? She's so far in the closet that she doesn't even know it exists…or at least, she didn't. She was never going to do anything about it on her own. She doesn't like seeing Dexter and Raven together, but she has no idea why—I can see it in that forced smile she's always sending Dexter. If having the threat of Raven being stolen from her out from under her nose wasn't enough to wake her up, nothing short of hitting her over the head with it was going to."

They had reached the doors now, and Briar pulled Holly out of the way of the crowd, toward a row of lockers. "Look," she said, grabbing Holly's face between her hands, making Holly's lips pucker comically, " _don't worry about it._ I'm actually glad you wrote it. It's for her own damn good, and I'm tired of her following Raven around like a lost puppy and looking at her like she hung the damn stars. It's about time she realized."

Briar released Holly's face, and the redhaired girl found herself able to smile just a little bit as the taller girl turned on her heel and walked off toward her next class. She and Briar weren't particularly close or anything, but Briar was, as she had stated, Apple's best friend, and always had Apple's best interest in mind. It relieved immensely Holly to know that she wasn't causing the school to crumble at the roots or anything by posting her fanfiction.

And it was true—Holly O'Hair's fanfiction diary wasn't causing the school to fall apart at the seams, but even Holly herself couldn't possibly have known quite how much her innocent fanfiction would ultimately set in the works at Ever After High.

* * *

 **I hope you guys liked this—I know the thing with Duchess and Poppy may seem a bit cliché but I wanted to set up a scenario for them to have to work together and things to go from there… Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it!**

 **So no metafic this chapter—I feel it's important to have chapters like this in between so that the story can develop outside of the fanfictions, which will probably just be little oneshots, and not the true focus of the story besides being its catalyst.**

 **Also, I hope you guys are okay with the thing with Holly liking Darling..I want to develop her personal life as well, and I thought it was the best match for her. My pairings for Darling tend to swerve between Holly and Ginger, but since this story is written starring Holly, I wanted to have her having a bit of shipping herself. My intent is to develop all of these relationships outside of the in-chapter fics, so I hope you guys approve!**

 **Please remember to leave a review, and I'll see you guys next chapter :)**


	5. Four: Briabelle and Bemusement

**I would like to reply to several reviews from a guest (usually I reply via pm if I feel the need to reply, but I can't do this with a guest, sorry!): First of all, thank you very much for your well-thought out reviews! I always appreciate the reviews that are specific and detailed very much! I wanted to address a couple of your concerns—about Poppy and Duchess lacking 'hate' or 'ust', I suppose I should have been more specific in the fic that Holly wrote. I meant for Holly to be working from the dynamic between the real life characters, and how it might play out between them if they got together. I guess hate still might have been too strong a word to use! Briar was more referring to the 'canon' ust, which I admittedly didn't spend a whole lot of time on. I meant for it to be more of an off-screen thing, though I admit that was sloppy in that I should have built it up more than just talking about Poppy's annoyance with her. And I agree with you on the Rapple fic—honestly, I'm still getting used to the metafic thing, and for some reason between focusing on the main fic and the in-fic fics it just doesn't come out as great as I'd like it to. I guess I kind of have to think of them as completely separate stories. Thank you for your opinions, and I'll try to utilize them in future chapters/fanfictions!**

 **Now, on to the chapter! :)**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Four: Briabelle and Bemusement**

* * *

It had been a week and a half since Holly had last updated her blog. Not only was she busy with her schoolwork, but she had been feeling a little on the fence about writing her fanfiction ever since Apple had begun to act strangely.

However, it seemed that Apple was the exception rather than the rule, as Holly had already had several students come up to her, requesting their favorite 'friend-ships' (a term Holly was quite proud of having coined) or that she write fanfiction starring themselves and their crushes. While Briar had somewhat reassured her regarding the way her fanfiction was effecting her friends, Holly still felt slightly guilty whenever she saw Apple ghosting around the hallways, looking as if she was somewhere else entirely.

This behavior, oddly enough, appeared limited to Apple. Raven either accepted that people were going to 'ship' herself with Apple no matter what, or honestly didn't care that the school was half-convinced of her non-heterosexuality. Although, Raven's sexuality wasn't quite the hot topic that Apple's was. Most people seemed to agree that Raven was at the most bisexual, if Apple's 'feelings' weren't entirely unrequited.

The one thing that did seem to be bothering Raven was how Apple had taken to skirting around her, avoiding her whenever possible and putting a fair amount of distance between them when it wasn't. This led to an interesting observation on Holly's part (as well as several of the girls who were closest to the pair in question)—Raven didn't seem to dislike Apple's clingy behavior quite as much as she tended to make out. It was entirely possible that the shock of having the blonde suddenly acting like a normal female friend had simply gotten to her, but still, if she truly disliked Apple's constant touches, surely she should have been relieved rather than borderline upset? Holly had even spotted the ebony and violet-haired girl attempt to touch Apple on the arm in Damsel-in-Distressing, probably to make sure Apple was paying attention, only to pull back looking downright wounded when Apple started and jerked away reflexively.

It was difficult for Holly to tell whether these changes were for the worse or, in the long-run, for the better. She was just as convinced as ever that Apple was very, very gay, but it was still unclear as to whether Apple would embrace this or brush it off. At least she seemed to be truly thinking it over.

Still, next, she told herself, she would write about a pairing that was a little less likely to be canon, and therefore not as likely to cause another bout of gayngst.

* * *

 **The Intoxicating Properties of Fairy Dust**

She stared down at the spinning wheel, transfixed by the needle that was glinting through some magic of its own, as there was no light filtering into the small, dark room. Her hand raised of its own accord, as if she were in a trance, and she found herself moving closer, closer…

She could almost just…

A hand caught her wrist moments before the tender flesh of her fingertip made contact with the point of the needle.

She blinked, and turned, slowly, to face her savior. But the world was going dark, and her surroundings were blurring around her, and all she could make out was pale skin, eyes such a pale gray as to be almost colorless, and a sweet smell that was achingly familiar and yet unlike anything she'd ever smelled before.

Briar Beauty woke with a start, like she had at least a hundred times before.

Running a hand down her face, she took a deep breath and collapsed back down against her pillows, staring up at the ceiling. The dream was nothing new, although when she'd first had it (when she was twelve), all it had been was the spinning wheel, sitting alone in the dark stone room. As Briar had grown, it had gotten longer, the pieces falling into place one at a time, the scene morphing around Briar's own slowly changing views. It wasn't until last year that the hand caught her wrist—she knew it was reflective of her own reluctance to lose her friends and loved ones. Since then, the picture of her savior had grown just microscopically clearer, though she always woke just a moment too soon, in the millisecond it would have taken for her mind to process her savior's face.

She thought she knew them, though. There was something familiar, a nostalgic ache that settled into her chest for a long time after she woke up, that made it hard for her to breathe.

 **PGBR**

The funny thing about time is that it goes on, always, no matter what. It may seem faster, if one is having fun and living life to its fullest, or slower if one is caught up in a particularly bad date, but it doesn't _really_ change.

Every day the sun comes up, and every night it goes down again.

What is truly astounding is how very much things can change over enough seemingly simple cycles.

Briar thought a lot about time. How could she not? But even as she thought about it, pondered it, tried her very best to understand its secrets, it continued on around her.

 **PGBR**

Briar stared at the door.

Behind it, she knew, lay her fate. She already knew exactly what she would see—she'd seen it hundreds of times in her dreams, after all.

It was really quite anticlimactic, when you got right down to it.

She'd tied up all her loose ends beforehand, of course. She'd said goodbye to all her friends, and to her family. She'd prepared a full wardrobe for when she awoke (though Grimm only knew how far behind the times her modern fashion would be in a century), and was currently dressed in her most beautiful deep pink gown with the black lace trimmings. She (or, rather, Apple and Ashlynn) had spent several hours getting her makeup just right for her 'true love' (although the thought of finding true love with a prince whose parents hadn't even been conceived yet squicked her out more than she'd like to admit).

Still, she stared at the door.

She didn't know why she couldn't bring herself to just enter the room. She'd already come to terms with her fate long ago, despite the angst she'd felt over it in high school. Still, she supposed, there was really no _preparing_ to essentially disappear for one hundred years. Her friends had helped her the best they could as they all smiled and promised they would never forget their time together.

Ironically, it was Faybelle's expression that had disarmed Briar the most. The Fae had stood back as Briar said her goodbyes, arms folded over her chest and looking sullenly off to the side, as if she'd rather be anywhere else. But Faybelle, for all her teasing and taunting, had always had a keen sense of the honor that existed between princess and villain. She came because it was the proper thing to do—give your princess a genuine farewell before you cursed them to their fate. But when Briar had looked Faybelle's way at just the exact moment that Faybelle's gaze flicked back to Briar, she was momentarily paralyzed by what she saw. The Fae's eyes were clouded by a mixture of guilt, regret and…something else that Briar had never seen in Faybelle's eyes, though she could swear she'd seen it in others'.

But the moment, for all it held, lasted only a split second before Faybelle schooled her expression back into a more familiar scowl.

But it was enough. Enough to shake the resolve that Briar had fought so hard to build. Enough to cause Briar to pause at the door to her fate. Enough for Briar to realize that Faybelle's eyes were quite a stunning silvery-gray color…almost colorless.

Grimm, she thought as she reached out and turned the handle, living a fairy tale was really fucked up sometimes.

 **PGBR**

The first panicked, half-baked thought that flew through Briar's mind when her eyes fluttered open was that it didn't feel like a hundred years.

Not that people generally know how long they've been asleep, but…she'd just expected to feel a little groggier after sleeping for a century.

The second thought was that fairies must have extended life spans or _something_ , because Faybelle didn't look a day older than she had when Briar had last seen her.

The third, slightly more delayed thought was that _Faybelle was there_.

"What—" Briar coughed, and cleared her throat. While her body didn't feel like it had been nearly comatose for a century, her voice certainly sounded it. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Silver-gray eyes flicked up to the ceiling, and for the first time, Briar realized that they were tinged with red, and that the skin around them was puffy. "You know, considering the fact that you know absolutely nothing about what's happened, that's kind of a stupid question," Faybelle replied dryly, though her voice sounded a little choked. Briar's lips twitched in spite of her confusion. Despite all the grief she had caused over the years, Briar was ridiculously relieved to hear the fairy's snarky tone, having been certain she'd never hear it again.

There was a long moment of silence. Briar was still confused, but Faybelle's mere, inexplicable presence was incredibly soothing—a miracle she'd never even bothered to hope for. And it was hard to speak, so Briar remained silent, knowing that Faybelle would eventually tire of it and continue.

As expected, the fairy let out an annoyed groan, and the next words to escape her lips had Briar sitting up ramrod straight despite her residual grogginess.

"It hasn't been a hundred years."

" _What?_ " Briar's mind raced to process the words she'd just heard. "How?" She stared at Faybelle, as if doing so would force more information out of her, and found that Faybelle wasn't meeting her eyes. "Faybelle…?"

There was another silence as the fairy glared at the ground. Briar wondered how long she _had_ been asleep, and whether it was possible that Faybelle had somehow gotten more color since, because her face looked significantly darker than usual.

Finally, she spoke, still refusing to meet Briar's gaze.

"Fairy magic…," she began, as if figuring out where she was going as she went, "is a little…different than 'normal magic'. We're known for being pranksters, and turning people's desires against them, you already know that." Briar scoffed, and Faybelle's eyes snapped to glare at her out of reflex, but the expression softened when she caught sight of the fond smile on Briar's face. She cleared her throat, and continued, her face slightly darker than before. "The curse you…that I…the curse that you were under was cast by use of fairy magic. It was meant to be lifted by a different kind of magic…true love's kiss." She scowled at this, and Briar raised an eyebrow, but wisely said nothing. "And I thought…well…the curse wasn't cast to guard against other magics, so I thought…maybe…"

For the first time, Briar realized that Faybelle's right hand was curled into a fist as the Fae's eyes flickered down to it. Then Faybelle opened it to reveal a sort of…sparkling sand, some of which was stuck to her palm, belying her nervousness.

"With fairy magic, I was able to get around the true love bullshit," she said, still staring at her hand. "It was enough that I…" She cleared her throat pointedly and closed her fist once again, sitting up straight. "What does it matter anyway? It's only been like a year—it would have been less but I had to…bribe…some family members."

Briar fought back a grin at Faybelle's mention of 'bribery', having something of an idea what that would entail for the other girl. Several questions buzzed through her brain, but she tried to prioritize, starting with the most important. "Why?" she asked, frowning at Faybelle in confusion. When the fairy opened her mouth, clearly readying a snappy retort, Briar shook her head. "Not that I'm not grateful," she corrected. "But…you were the one who cursed me to begin with."

"Because I had to!" Faybelle spat, shifting her gaze back to the floor. "I would have been disinherited if I hadn't! And unlike a bunch of ingrates back at school, I actually _liked_ my destiny!" After a moment, her temper seemed to mellow, and she deflated a little bit. "But…after I did it…seeing you there, asleep, knowing you'd never get to see your friends again, knowing I'd never…" She shook her head roughly. "I just did, okay? Isn't that good enough?"

Briar's heart felt as though it might burst from swelling at Faybelle's words and expression, reluctant though they were. She shook her head, smiling fondly at the fairy. "You know, I used to have this one dream, ever since I was twelve. I would walk into a room and there would be a spinning wheel sitting in the middle of it."

Faybelle raised her head, frowning at Briar as if she thought the sleep may have muddled her mind.

"As I got older, it changed," Briar continued, ignoring Faybelle's confusion. "When I questioned my destiny…when we all got put into that enchanted sleep…by the time we graduated, I saw myself going to prick myself with the needle. But I never did." She paused. "Because someone stopped me."

At this point, Faybelle scoffed and folded her arms over her chest. "Let me guess," she said in a sickly-sweet tone laced with venom. "Prince Charming came to save the day. Well _sorry_ for messing that up for you."

A giggle bubbled up in Briar's chest and escaped her lips as a full laugh, and Faybelle shot her a glare. "It wasn't 'Prince Charming'," Briar finally replied, once her laughter had died down. "Actually, I never could place the person who saved me. I always woke up just before I could get a clear picture. But…I do remember some things."

Faybelle's expression had softened, but she still looked slightly confused. "Like…what?" she asked after a moment, when Briar didn't continue.

"Like the color of their eyes," Briar replied, staring directly into Faybelle's own eyes and finding herself not at all surprised to see a very familiar color in the eyes staring back at her. "The pallor of their skin…" She reached out and brushed her fingers over Faybelle's cheek, feeling the Fae tense beneath her before ever so slightly leaning into the touch. "And the smell…" Briar reached down with her other hand and closed her fingers around the fist holding the fairy dust, easing Faybelle's fingers open and dipping her own fingers into the strange, soft sand before lifting them to her nose. She was greeted by a sweet, unidentifiable scent that made her chest tight with nostalgia and need.

She lifted her gaze and was momentarily startled to see Faybelle's face hovering mere centimeters from her own, their noses almost touching. But she didn't start, or back away, instead meeting the silvery-gray gaze with her own, unwilling to break the contact.

"That's so corny," Faybelle muttered, though Briar could see her lips curling into an amused smile. "What's with you princesses being all sentimental all the time?"

Briar grinned and latched a hand around the back of Faybelle's neck. "I don't know," she replied, stroking the pale skin with her thumb. "I'm not usually this bad." She paused, staring into Faybelle's eyes and allowing her gaze to dip to the fairy's lips. "It must be the fairy dust."

And then she pulled Faybelle the rest of the way in, erasing the sparse centimeters of space between them.

* * *

"Nice story last night."

"Huh? Oh!" Holly started as Briar slipped into the desk behind her in Chemythstry (another subject Holly could live without). "You're…not mad, are you?"

Briar gave her a funny look. "Of course I'm not mad," she said, her lips twitching up just slightly in amusement. "It's just a story. And besides, if anything I should be grateful. You did me a favor, letting me wake up ninety-nine years early."

"I know it was a bit of a deux-ex-machina ending," Holly admitted, flushing slightly. "I'm sure someone else could have thought up a really clever way to end your sleep."

Briar stared at her for a long moment, though Holly got the distinct impression that rather than at her, the tall brunette was staring _through_ her. Then she blinked, shook her head and returned her gaze to Holly, giving her a little half-smile. "I don't think I'd really care if it was clever or not," she replied, still smiling wanly. "Someone could retcon it away for all I care, as long as I don't have to leave everyone and everything I love behind."

There was something very alien about the expression Briar was wearing, though it was an expression Holly had seen far too many times on far too many faces. The fact that it was Briar wearing it this time, however—Briar, who was usually so confident and strong and fearless—made Holly feel as though something was wilting inside of _herself_.

"…you know nothing's certain anymore, right?" she asked, hesitantly, craning her neck to look up at Briar. "Raven ripped out the pages of the Storybook of Legends. Nobody _has_ to follow their destiny anymore."

Her words seemed to tear Briar from whatever state she'd been in, and the brunette smiled gratefully at her. "Yeah, I know," she said, settling into a more relaxed position in her chair. "But…I guess it's not always as easy as just declaring that you're changing your entire destiny. Even if I wasn't cursed to sleep for a hundred years…there are still things I have left to lose."

"Like…what?" asked Holly, not really knowing if this was an appropriate question, or whether she was close enough to Briar to be 'allowed' to ask it.

Stretching long, tan arms high above her head and arching her back luxuriously, Briar didn't answer for a moment. But when she sat back down, she was smiling—her genuine, light-hearted, somewhat enigmatic smile this time—and she merely shrugged as she fell back in her seat, falling somewhat out of Holly's line of sight. "There are consequences to every action. Just because they're not visible at first doesn't mean they won't come and bite you in the ass later on."

Right at that moment, before Holly could question her further, Professor Rumplestiltskin entered the room, and she slowly turned back to the front, settling into her own seat.

Though she didn't quite understand them, Briar's words had still forced Holly to open her eyes a little bit further. Glancing down, toward the front row, she saw Raven trying to strike a conversation with Apple, who seemed uncharacteristically lost in thought in one of her favorite classes. Then her gaze found Duchess, who was sharing a desk with Sparrow, and had her arms folded over her chest, her chin just slightly raised as if in defiance to everyone around her. And then she thought of that small, sad smile Briar had given her only minutes ago.

Just how well did she actually know her friends?

Sometimes, in this world of fairytales and happily ever afters, it was hard to remember that everyone had their own personal stories as well.

* * *

 **So that's chapter four! I hope you enjoyed it! This one was a bit tougher to write—I tried a lot harder with the metafic this time, but they're still pretty tough for me to get out. One-shots have never been my forte, but I'm glad most of you seem to enjoy them :)**

 **Also, quick question—I know I've shown that Holly has a crush on Darling, but I want to ask you guys, on the whole: Who do** ** _you_** **want to see with Holly?**

 **Please remember to leave a review, and I'll see you guys next chapter :)**


	6. Five: Apple's Situation (An Interlude)

**Another main-fic chapter :O I hope you guys will forgive me. But also, I never meant to have a meta-fic EVERY chapter. Anyway, I just figured it was time for us to get a look inside of Apple's head after a few chapters of us seeing her inner turmoil from the outside looking in.**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Chapter Five: Apple's Situation (An Interlude)**

* * *

Apple White had never even considered the possibility that she was anything less (or more) than heterosexual. In fact, the idea was so far beyond the realm of her consciousness that she'd never even given the term itself a second thought.

Sure, she knew that homosexuality was 'a thing' (she was quite firm in the idea that several of her friends may 'swing that way', though she would never go so far as to bring it up, because that would just be rude and potentially traumatizing to said individuals), but she'd never thought about the term in relation to herself.

She was Apple White, the daughter of Snow White. She would grow up, take a bite of a poison apple (provided by her lovely arch-friemesis, Raven Queen), be awakened by her One True Love (Daring Charming, to be precise), marry him and live happily forever after.

She'd never stopped to consider that the fact that she actually didn't find Daring Charming the slightest bit attractive might cast a _slight_ wrench in this otherwise perfectly thought out life plan.

For Apple, it was all about what she was _supposed_ to do, who she was _supposed_ to be, and she'd lived with that idea for so long that she didn't find it objectionable at all—in fact, she looked forward to following in her mother's footsteps with a passion like no other.

What Apple found to be solid fact made certain behaviors a little… _confusing_ for those around her. Like how she always tended to be more than affectionate with her female friends (particularly Raven) while keeping potential suitors at a distance. Or how she clung to Raven like a ragdoll whenever she saw the girl. Or how she would always prioritize the needs of certain friends (Raven) above all else. Or how she just generally _looked_ at Raven (like Raven had hung the stars).

But Apple White was happy, and thus she never found a _need_ to question anything…

…for a very long time, until suddenly, one day, she did.

* * *

It was when Raven was getting ready for her first date with Dexter that Apple first noticed something…a little odd. Something not _quite_ 'just right', as Blondie would say.

It wasn't much—in fact, she might have missed it entirely had she been focused on something else, like her thronework or an upcoming school event. But as fate would have it, Apple's day was free and her mind was clear, and she felt it.

A twinge, a pinprick—barely even that. But it was there. It was _something_ , though for the life of her, Apple couldn't figure out what.

She just knew that it had happened as Raven had giddily waved to her with her free hand (the other one was holding Dexter's—probably sweaty—palm), and that it made the encouraging smile she shot along with her own little wave just a tiny bit difficult to hold as her roommate disappeared out the door.

That, and that she was fairly certain that she didn't _like_ the feeling, whatever it had been.

But all this realization occurred in the few seconds she spent smiling and waving to Raven. The instant the girl disappeared, and Apple's smile dropped, the feeling was gone from her chest, and from her mind.

The next time it happened, the feeling wasn't so fleeting, and it didn't disappear quite so easily, nor so quickly.

* * *

The next time it happened, they (she, Daring, Raven and Dexter) were on a double date to the outdoor movie festival.

It was a perfectly lovely idea, and really, Apple should have been impressed that _Daring_ , of all people, came up with it. He seemed to be a lot more thoughtful ever since returning from his beastly transformation. Daring, however, like herself, seemed a little bit preoccupied, his eyes always straying to Rosabella, who was there with Briar, and Apple couldn't for the life of her bring herself to be insulted.

She kind of wished she was, though, because 'insulted' would be _worlds_ better than what she was feeling as she watched Raven snuggle into Dexter Charming's side.

(Dexter seemed to be getting over his awkwardness around Raven, a fact that annoyed Apple a lot more than it strictly should have, especially considering how unconcerned she was with the fact that her own date was completely ignoring her.)

* * *

This time, the feeling bloomed in her chest rather than merely coming into being from nowhere, and it roiled around in there like boiling water, putting Apple in an inexplicably foul mood for the rest of the evening.

She'd never disliked Daring. Not at all. In fact, Apple White had never felt _anything_ for Daring Charming, or any other boy.

But she felt _something_ for Raven Queen.

And that confused her more than anything ever had.

Apple was very good at math and science. Apple was good at things that had to do with logic. Things that made sense.

But now, as her heart ached and something in her chest clenched at the sight of Raven leaning against Dexter, holding _his_ hand (with the same hand Apple often grabbed without a second thought), Apple was lost. Her eyes felt hot, and her throat tight, and when she tried to swallow, it as if she'd swallowed a rock without noticing.

This didn't make any sense at all.

* * *

Holly O'Hair's fanfiction of herself and Raven was uploaded about a week later, and after reading it, Apple had stared blankly at the screen for a good ten minutes. And then…

 _Oh._

And, shortly after:

 _Oh,_ _ **no**_ _._

* * *

 **I purposefully kept this chapter shorter. I thought Apple's emotional state needed to have its own chapter, and I didn't want to diminish her feelings by adding in another character's issues or perspective. I hope you guys enjoyed, and I'm already working on the next chapter, which will include Faybelle's reaction to the previous metafic and more!**

 **Thanks to my awesome reviewers! I hope you guys continue to enjoy my story, and please remember that your reviews are always appreciated, and are incredibly motivating! I wouldn't have made it this far without you guys! :)**


	7. Six: When Wandering Through Wonderland

**I would like to apologize in advance for Faybelle's filthy mouth. I wrote her this way because that's just how I see her character, and I didn't want to compromise that. I also imagine Duchess and Faybelle having a rather antagonistic friendship, since they're both so volatile when they want to be. My headcanon is that they take out their frustration on each other through some kind of mutual agreement, and that they remain friends despite often irritating each other purely because they can be so alike and think in basically the same ways often.**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Six: When Wandering through Wonderland**

* * *

"Really? I mean, _really_? What the fuck? At least put me with another villain! Shipping me with that prissy fucking princess… _Grimm_ , that pisses me _off_!"

"Yeah, I can tell," Duchess replied in a bored tone as she surveyed her newly manicured nails. She raised her eyes to her on again, off again best friend (as most of Duchess's friends tended to be), Faybelle, as the petite fairy stomped back and forth across the room in a huff. It was a good thing Lizzie was out with her weird friends, Duchess thought mildly. The future queen of hearts and Faybelle tended not to see eye-to-eye—an alpha female thing?—and she was sure Faybelle's noisy pacing would have garnered a chastising remark from Lizzie by now. "But it could be worse. I mean, I don't particularly care for her either, but Briar Beauty isn't so bad as princesses go. And I would hardly call her 'prissy'."

Faybelle shot the tall ballerina a venomous look. "That's easy for you to say," she snapped, rounding on Duchess. "She's not the heroine of _your_ story! Now everyone's going to think I'm some fucking lovesick pussy!"

"I seem to recall _somebody_ finding it really fucking funny when _I_ was the one everybody was talking about," Duchess replied sharply. She wasn't one to sit back and take a verbal tongue-lashing, even though she knew her friend was just lashing out. And indeed, Faybelle had laughed so hard when Duchess had informed her of her own predicament with Poppy O'Hair that the girl had been doubled over, unable to talk for at least five whole minutes.

Faybelle rolled her eyes and scoffed, but didn't bother to retort to this. It was their own odd way of settling any arguments. They took out their anger and frustration on each other, but didn't hold it against each other, understanding in the end that the nastiness wasn't really directed at the other. "Holly O'Hair's a fucking menace," Faybelle growled, kicking out blindly and only just missing Duchess's pet swan. Pirouette honked loudly, rightfully affronted.

" _Watch it_!"

Faybelle, shocked by Duchess's outburst/honk, whipped her head down and nearly lost her balance. "What's your stupid duck doing in here?"

"She is a _swan_ , and this is where she _lives_ ," Duchess said through gritted teeth. An irritated Faybelle was never easy to deal with. "A home that _you_ do not share with her, might I add."

Faybelle muttered something unintelligible under her breath, but finally sat down on the edge of Duchess's bed.

"Anyway, I'm sure Briar isn't taking it seriously," Duchess said. The borderline narcoleptic princess didn't seem like the high-strung type, which was quite an uncommon trait in the other princesses. Briar was, in fact, one of the only princesses Duchess could somewhat tolerate, mainly due to her laid back, devil-may-care kind of attitude. "Just let it run its course, and whatever you do, don't make a scene with her."

"Of course I won't," Faybelle replied, in a tone that made Duchess slightly wary. " _I'm_ not stupid enough to stomp up to the person I'm rumored to be with, have a very public dispute and then disappear with her into some deserted classroom."

The not-s0-subtle jibe was not lost on Duchess, who narrowed her eyes in irritation. "Might I remind you that it was _you_ who came to _me_ for help?" she said, an edge in her voice.

"Right, because you were too busy having a conniption. What was it you said? Just 'let it run its course'?" Faybelle was openly taunting her now, trying to get a reaction out of the future swan queen. It was usually fairly easy to get Duchess to leap at the bait, and the fairy was obviously looking for someone upon whom to take out her annoyance. As a general rule, Faybelle looked to make herself feel better by pissing off the people around her.

But Duchess wasn't going to give her what she wanted today. She was about to be late for a practice session with Poppy, and she really didn't want to show up in a foul mood. Infuriating as it was, Poppy had proven that she was made of slightly different stuff than the typical princess. She wasn't afraid to stand up to Duchess and her demanding personality, and the future swan queen couldn't risk Poppy changing her mind about helping her.

Still, as she grabbed her purse, a small part of her did wonder why she didn't just find someone else. Surely it didn't _have_ to be Poppy—though not nearly as large as Apple White's, Duchess did have her own modest horde of boys willing to do her bidding. An uncomfortable tightness gripped her chest. Surely that infuriating rebel wasn't _growing_ on her, like some kind of fungus. That would be ridiculous.

"That's right, run to your girlfriend!" was the last thing she heard as the door slammed shut behind her.

A low, frustrated growl rose from Duchess's chest until it burst from her throat as a mix between a growl and a scream. She stomped off toward the main building, deliberately shoving into a scared-looking Cedar Wood with her shoulder as she went.

* * *

Holly glanced nervously over her shoulder for the umpteenth time that day, causing Poppy, who was staring down at her mirrorphone, to run right into her.

"Ouch!" Poppy yelped, more out of instinct than actual pain. "What the hell, Holls? Why do you keep doing that?"

Holly bit her lower lip. "Sorry," she said, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I keep waiting for Faybelle to come around a corner and kill me."

Poppy rolled her eyes. "I don't think she'd actually kill you," she said, dryly. "Maim, maybe, or injure. But killing you would get her in trouble too."

"Thanks, Poppy."

"No worries," Poppy replied, either completely missing the sarcasm or ignoring it, eyes once again glued to her phone. "Hey, if you really want an interesting story, you ever think of pairing up one of the Wonderlandians? You know, Kitty, Lizzie or Maddie? I mean, everything's pretty much upside down with them. That can't _not_ be interesting."

"Hmmm, maybe," Holly replied, not paying her sister much attention. Her eyes had once again sought out the telltale white-blonde hair and tan skin of Darling Charming. Only this time, those bright blue eyes were fixed directly on Holly, not some random girls on the bookball field. And was it just her imagination, or were they getting closer…?

"Hi, Holly! Hey, Poppy!"

"Yo," Poppy said.

"Uh..." Holly was stuck in neutral for a moment before Poppy, thankfully broken from whatever spell her phone had on her, pinched her hard in the back. "Eeep! I mean, hi, Darling!"

Darling's brows furrowed in a mixture of confusion and concern at Holly's outburst. "Are you okay?" she asked, reaching out a hand and easily taking Holly's in her own. Holly congratulated herself for being able to maintain her footing as Darling's concerned blue eyes met her own. There was nothing, in Holly's opinion, quite as attractive as someone who was so gentlemanly, so chivalrous without even _trying_.

"Um, yeah! I'm fine!" Her voice was an octave higher than usual, and Holly's face flushed. She hoped Darling hadn't noticed.

If the female Charming had, she was too polite to let it show, and gave Holly a dazzling smile as she gently dropped the redhead's hand and stepped back. "Great," she said. "I just wanted to tell you how much I adore your stories. I was speaking with Briar about them this morning and she said you were having some doubts, so I wanted to let you know that you have my full support! Oh, and don't worry about Apple," she added, with a pointed wink that made Holly's already weak knees give a precarious wobble. "She's just…figuring some things out."

At this, Holly found herself unable to ignore one of her concerns that she had yet to address, mostly for selfish reasons. "But isn't she supposed to be your True Love?" she blurted out, flushing almost instantly as Darling's eyes widened in surprise. Then the blonde gave a full, hearty laugh.

"Oh, I doubt that very much," she replied smoothly. "I do love Apple, of course, but I'm no more attracted to her than she is to my oldest brother, and I'm sure she feels the same. We've been practically raised as siblings since we were in diapers. Not that I think the fact that Daring couldn't wake her and I could is meaningless, of course. I just don't think that it means… _that_. Apple was under _a_ curse, not _the_ curse. So it stands to reason that perhaps a kiss from her True Love wasn't necessary. Maybe I just happened to fit the bill a little better than my brother did for…whatever reason." She grinned, slightly roguishly this time. "Anyway, I'm off to Dragon Slaying. Keep up the great work, Holly! And if anyone has a problem with it, just come to me."

Another wink, and Darling was off.

It was a full minute before Holly was able to move, and another five before she found her voice. "Oh my Grimm…I think I'm in _love_ ," she whimpered, clutching her books to her chest and swooning.

Next to her, Poppy gave one of her more spectacular eye rolls and went back to her phone, noticing a new text from Duchess.

 _Ugh…caps lock. Somebody's in a pissy mood…_

"Hey, I've gotta go," she said to Holly. "I'll see you around, okay?"

"Uh, sure," Holly replied, distractedly. Then, after a moment, "Wait, where are you going? Not another meeting with Duchess? What are you two doing, anyway?"

But Poppy was already turning the corner back toward the school building. Holly sighed and pulled out her key as she approached their shared dorm room. Well, she could quiz Poppy later. At least now she had some peace and quiet to work on her next fanfiction with.

* * *

 **Tea and Jealousy**

Madeline Hatter loved a great many things. She loved tea and hats and Wonderland, and her mouse, Earl Grey. She loved watching things play out as they reached their logical conclusion, and especially things that made no sense at all!

But more than any of that, Maddie loved her friends. And there was nothing quite so disheartening as when those friends fought amongst each other.

Which is why, after a little more than a week of Lizzie Hearts and Kitty Cheshire not talking to each other, Maddie decided something needed to be done. The two had been at odds with each other for a while, but it had really escalated when Lizzie had started going on outings with Daring Charming. Since then, Kitty's tongue had become uncharacteristically sharp, even for her, and Lizzie, who'd been completely flabbergasted at first, had quickly gone on the offensive.

It was the incident earlier that day, though, that had Maddie determined to act. Kitty, who'd always been more prone to passive aggressive wheedling than outbursts (like Lizzie), in a foul mood from having seen Daring Charming offering flowers to Lizzie at her locker, had waltzed into the castleteria for lunch and promptly plastered herself to a flummoxed Alistair's side. The resulting, utterly devastated expression on poor Bunny's face and loud 'CRACK' as Lizzie's plastic fork snapped in two had decided Maddie's mind for her.

It was time for an intervention.

 **PGBR**

"Oh, Maddie, you know I love tea parties, but I'm just not sure I'm going to be the best of company today," Lizzie was saying as Maddie pranced down the hallway towards her dorm, practically dragging the future queen of hearts behind her.

"Oh, shush, you!" Maddie chirped cheerfully as they rounded the corner and her room came into view. "It's always time for a tea party!" She giggled and pushed open the door, revealing a somewhat bored looking Kitty batting at a tea bag with a finger. The lavender haired girl glanced up and her catlike eyes widened at the sight of Lizzie.

"Maddie!" the cat-girl half-whined. "You didn't say _she_ was coming."

Lizzie raised an eyebrow. "Well pardon _you_ ," she retorted hotly, her offended tone almost masking the underlying hurt. "Maddie _is_ my friend as well." She folded her arms over her chest, the sensation of water coming to a boil inside of her from lunch returning with a vengeance.

"Oh, isn't it just so nice to be all together again?" Maddie chirped over both of them, as if she didn't notice the thick tension now filling the room. "Now, who wants tea? Of course, we can't have tea without biscuits, and we can't have _biscuits_ without—"

 **PGBR**

"Of course, I don't see what the problem is," Maddie was saying. "Raven is just looking so sad lately with Apple spending so much of her time running away from her. If you ask me, there's just no reason why two lobsters shouldn't be together."

Kitty nodded as if this statement made perfect sense, delicately sipping at her tea, then pulling back with a quiet yelp, waving a hand in front of her mouth. There were certain disadvantages to having a cat's tongue. Ignoring this display, Lizzie turned her attention to Maddie.

"I have to say I agree with you, Maddie," she stated imperiously. "And it's not as if the entire school isn't 'shipping' them, as the saying goes. It's silly, really. I've never kissed a girl myself, but I can't imagine it would be much harder than with a boy."

Kitty scoffed loudly—too loudly for Lizzie to ignore this time, and her teal, almost green eyes found the lavender-haired Wonderlandian and narrowed. Kitty raised her own gaze in mock innocence. "What?" she asked. "I just think it's a little…sad…that the future Queen of Hearts has so little experience. I myself have kissed girls. It's not like it's hard or anything. And they do tend to know what they're doing, unlike the boys. I have to say the best kiss I've ever had was with a girl—I'll have you know that Cerise Hood is positively… _wild_." Her eyes glinted with mischievousness and something a little less innocent at the last word, but Lizzie didn't catch onto it. Kitty's statement had seemed to incite a strong reaction from her, and she drew herself up, her chest puffing out.

"Well, pardon me for not being as _well-traveled_ as you, Kitty," she snapped, her grip tightening around her teacup. Her eyes, usually just on the verge of green, seemed to darken into a pure emerald color as she glared at the other girl, face reddening.

Kitty's nostrils flared at the insinuation. "Oh, like you're one to talk, thirsting over Daring Charming like you've just spent a year in the _Sahara_! It's _disgusting_ — _mmmpf_!"

But Kitty never finished her accusation, because before the next words could leave her lips, she found them being very much preoccupied with something decidedly more solid.

Across the small tea table, Lizzie stared open-mouthed at her two friends. Seemingly out of nowhere, Maddie had reached over, grabbed the back of Kitty's neck, and pulled the girl into a sweltering kiss. There were several things that Lizzie knew she should be thinking, but her mind was a blur of thoughts and emotions. The only thing she was left with to feel was an unfamiliar, broiling sensation in her chest as she watched Kitty's eyes flutter shut.

They parted with a loud 'pop'.

Lizzie opened her mouth, her chest puffing up as she prepared to give both of them an earful. But she suddenly found the breath stuck in her throat as Maddie turned to her and, without missing a beat, leaned forward and glued her lips to Lizzie's deep red ones.

Kissing Maddie was…well, just like one would expect, which was like feeling upside down, sideways and inside out all at once and somehow not minding one bit. She tasted like tea, candy and something that didn't seem to fit with Maddie at all, that the back of Lizzie's mind registered must be Kitty.

And then it was over. Maddie was pulling away from her with an equally loud 'pop', emphasizing the intensity of the short kiss. And then she was sitting back, arms folded over her chest, her eyes going between Kitty and Lizzie. "There," she said, as if she had just somehow solved something. "Now you two."

There was a beat, a moment of silence.

"What do you mean, now— _what_?" Lizzie began, her eyes widening as she realized what Maddie must have been referring to. "Absolutely not!"

Kitty, whose dumbstruck expression had morphed into a sullen scowl when Maddie had repeated her action with Lizzie, swelled slightly, much like an angry cat, appearing to take offense to this. "I have to agree," she said, her tone sharp. "We wouldn't want to sully those lips before precious Daring gets the chance."

That was the last straw for Lizzie, who slammed her teacup down on the table and leaned forward so that she and Kitty were only inches apart. "What is your _problem_ these days?" she asked, her voice starting to take on the tell-tale booming quality that the students of Ever After High had grown to be wary of. "Have I done something to personally offend you?"

Kitty's lips curled into a sneer, her nose wrinkling, pearly white teeth flashing dangerously. Beside her, Maddie held her teacup to her lips without drinking, her wide eyes volleying between her two best Wonderlandian friends as if she were watching an enthralling tennis match.

"Trust me, the sight of you and Daring Charming salivating over each other for all the school to see is _plenty_ offensive," Kitty snapped as a retort, not backing down even a little bit as Lizzie invaded her personal space. "To my eyes _and_ my stomach."

"I assure you, there has been no 'salivating', as you so elegantly put it," Lizzie replied, somewhat pompously. "Not that it is any of _your_ business who I choose to spend my time with."

Kitty scoffed, then in one movement she, too, had slammed down her teacup and leaned across the table to meet Lizzie's hard glare with her own. "You're one to talk," she snapped. "I suppose that was just a _defective fork_ at lunch today?"

Lizzie flushed at the reminder, her face nearly red enough to match the heart over her left eye. "Why you _insolent_ little—"

But she never got to say exactly what Kitty was, because before she could finish her sentence, she felt something push forcefully at the back of her head, and her lips collided hard, almost painfully with Kitty's.

"I said kiss," Maddie said sternly.

For a long moment, the two girls just stared, wide-eyed at each other. Lizzie was now positive that it had been Kitty's taste on Maddie's lips, because her senses were now being flooded with it. As she stared into Kitty's eyes, she could swear she saw a familiar glint in the vivid teal. And then Lizzie felt something bite down on her lip, _hard_ , and she lost any remnant of control she still maintained over her baser urges. So Kitty wanted to play it like _that_ , did she?

Kitty's startled ' _Mrrrowr!_ ' was muffled into Lizzie's mouth as the brunette shoved her onto the floor with the entirety of her body weight. The small tea table was knocked on its end, and various mismatched tea-serving utensils crashed to the floor with several loud crashes, bangs and shatters.

Maddie sat back, all but forgotten as she calmly sipped her tea.

"There, now that's better," she said.

* * *

"Sooo…what's eating at you?

After about half an hour of rigorous (well, as rigorous as ballroom dancing got, which was in fact surprisingly rigorous) practice, Poppy had sunk to the floor against the teacher's desk, looking up at Duchess, who insisted on not taking a break, and was now 'dancing' with an invisible partner. At Poppy's words, the taller girl whirled around, stopping perfectly on her heel.

Poppy raised an eyebrow. Duchess really was an incredible dancer. Sometimes, when she wasn't being careful, she found herself getting lost in the way the tall ballerina moved.

"Nothing is 'eating at me'," Duchess replied shortly.

"I think it is," Poppy said, mildly as she got to her feet to meet Duchess in the middle of the room. "You haven't snapped at me to correct my posture or anything once."

"You're improving."

Poppy raised an eyebrow.

"I mean it!" Duchess replied, indignant at Poppy's obvious hesitance to accept her answer. "My toes are hardly bruised anymore." As if to illustrate her point, she lifted one foot high into the air and then pressed it against one of the desks, stretching. There was a moment of silence, and then, in a voice Poppy almost didn't recognize, "Do I really snap that much?"

"Uh…" Like her sister earlier, Poppy found herself caught speechless by the unexpected frailty of Duchess's voice. "I mean, kinda? I mean, I know you don't do it on purpose or anything. You're just kind of…high maintenance."

Duchess stiffened, but she didn't make a cutting response, which Poppy took as a cue to continue.

"And, I mean, I get it. I know I'm not the best dancer. But not everything needs to be perfect all the time, you know? Half the time you're so tense that I'm afraid you're gonna snap or something, and the other half it's like you're going out of your way to piss everyone off. It's like, just…deflate a little, you know?"

At this, Duchess gently lowered her leg and shot Poppy a dubious look.

"Deflate?" she asked, delicately, as if she'd never heard the term.

Poppy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you know," she said, struggling for words. "Like, let out some of that tension, sometimes I swear I think you're about to explode. I know your destiny kind of sucks…" She hesitated, waiting to see if Duchess would allow her to continue. She noticed that the taller girl's jaw tightened, but Duchess seemed intent on listening for once, so she continued, "But that's not something you have to constantly worry about, you know? I mean, we're still in school. Why don't you try to enjoy it while you have it? And who knows about your destiny? Anything could happen between now and graduation. All I'm saying is maybe you should try to relax a little. Trust me, it's much easier than feeling like a rubber band that's been stretched too tight all the time."

"How do you know how I feel?" Duchess asked, quietly. Now she was meeting Poppy's eyes, looking at her as if she was seeing her for the first time. "You don't know anything about me."

Poppy shrugged. "You see a lot when you take the time to look," she said simply. Then she held out her hand. "Ready to start again?"

Duchess paused, staring at the outstretched hand as if she half-expected it to bite her. And then slowly, with a ridiculous amount of care and grace, she placed her own hand in Poppy's. "I suppose so," she sniffed. "Try not to stamp quite so hard on my feet this time—I'm still healing."

Poppy rolled her eyes playfully and pulled Duchess into the center of the room, eliciting a honk from the taller girl. "As you wish, your majesty. Wouldn't want to disappoint the princes with foot fetishes, would we?"

Duchess scoffed. "Just lead," she replied dryly as Poppy giggled at her own remark. But her tone was not entirely without fondness, and her eyes softened as she looked down at the girl in front of her.

 _She has a beautiful laugh...  
_

* * *

 **But seriously, who** _ **wouldn't**_ **fall for Darling? Charming, chivalrous, kind and playful, all in a beautiful package with great hair and an adorable smile!**

 **So this chapter is a bit longer-I wanted to be sure to get metafic in but I also had a bunch of story to get in, too! I'm really trying with the conversations/chemistry between the girls, so I hope you guys are still liking it! I hope it turned out well! Please leave a review and let me know what you thought/any ideas you have as usual!**


	8. Seven: Sink or Sail

**So I was watching Bob's Burgers, and the part with Tina and 'Erotic Friend Fiction' comes on…it was hilarious, but I guess that's what Holly's doing technically? Without the erotic obviously…but I guess it's not technically fanfiction? Anyway. On to the story!**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Seven: Sink or Sail  
**

* * *

"Greetings, denizens of Ever After High! Blondie Lockes here, with your daily MirrorCast. Today's topic is one that's been taking our school by storm as of late—Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary!"

Blondie pulled back from the camera, eyes big and bright as she turned to a rather nervous-looking Holly O'Hair, who was twisting a lock of hair around her finger nervously. "So, Holly, Ever After wants to know—what makes that beautiful brain of yours tick?"

Holly flushed darkly at Blondie's word choice. "Haha, thanks, Blondie," she hedged as the camera centered on her. "Well, to be honest, I don't think there's anything all that special about me. I just see possibilities in the relationships between people and I write about them."

"Mhm, mhm," Blondie noted, nodding her head seriously. "Well, I'm sure you've had an influx of requests for you to write fanfiction about people and their respective crushes?" The blonde's voice took on a playful, wheedling quality.

"Um...well, not really, actually," Holly replied truthfully. "I mean, I've had some, but…I guess if there are people out there who would like to see themselves written with their crushes, they don't want it posted for the entire school to see," she added. "Not that I would ever reveal the identity of the requester unless I was specifically asked by that person to do so. But…it _is_ high school. I've been conflicted a little bit myself as to whether or not I should continue—"

"Oh, _do_!" Blondie burst, out of turn. Holly blinked in surprise, and the camera swung back to Blondie, whose pleading look instantly turned to one of shock at her own words, and then embarrassment as she turned to face the camera. "Um…don't you all agree with me? Send me your opinions via the comment section, and let Holly know we want more!"

"Aaand…that's a wrap." Blondie sighed as she went off-air. Then she turned her gaze to Holly, who was standing before her, smiling awkwardly. The redhead didn't quite know what to do with herself. She'd never been particularly close to Blondie, though she thought the blonde was perfectly nice. She felt as though it would be rude to simply walk off, and she was a bit curious about Blondie's outburst.

Luckily, the awkwardness only lasted a moment, as Blondie clapped her hands once in a decisive manner. "Okay! I think that should satisfy my viewers, and hopefully get you some more readers and requests! Thanks for the interview!"

"Uh, yeah, no problem," Holly replied, demurely, still a bit unsure of herself. She was curious as to why Blondie had been so adamant that she continue writing, but didn't want to come across as rude or full of herself. "I guess if you don't need me for anything else…"

Holly took a step back, but was stopped by a small hand wrapping around her wrist. Eyes widening in surprise, she looked bemusedly down at Blondie, who had all but lunged after her.

The blonde had the decency to flush as she loosened her grip and stood back up. "Ahem…off the record…" Blondie bit her lip, as if deciding whether she really wanted to say what she was planning to say next. "Would you…be open to requests?"

* * *

Holly blinked. That was certainly not what she had been expecting. "Well…I guess so," she replied, a little taken aback. "Was there…something specific you had in mind?" She just barely stopped herself from saying 'some _one_ '. She didn't like to be presumptuous, and Blondie, as far as she knew, had never shown any obvious signs of liking anyone in particular, though again, she didn't know much about the other girl past what was public knowledge.

"Well, it's just…your stories seem to…come true, an awful lot," Blondie said, biting down on her lower lip nervously. "The pairings, I mean."

Holly frowned. "I don't think any new relationships have started because of my stories…," she began hesitantly, but Blondie shook her head.

"No, but they _will_. Your stories make things _happen_ , Holly!" Blondie took a step forward, hands clasped together in front of her chest, eyes shining with honesty and…was that hope? "I mean, your Rapple story is obviously having an effect on Apple, and it won't be long before she has to admit she has feelings for Raven. Before your story, I don't think she'd ever even considered it!"

"Right, and I'm still hoping that's a good thing," Holly said quietly, more to herself than to the excitable girl in front of her. And then she let out a startled squeak—Blondie had grabbed her right hand, clasping it between both of her own.

"It is! Duchess hasn't been nearly as mean recently, and everyone knows she and Poppy have some kind of weird thing together, which all started because of _your_ story!" Blondie's hands tightened around Holly's. "It's like you have some kind of spell-tacular power!"

Holly giggled nervously. "Don't say it like that," she said, tucking her hair behind her left ear with her free hand. "I don't want Cupid to think I'm encroaching on her territory or anything…"

But Blondie fidgeted at the mention of her roommate and Ever After High's resident matchmaker. And though she did an admirable job hiding it, if there was one thing Holly was good at, it was picking up on subtle cues that others overlooked.

"Is this… _about_ her?"

"What? _No,_ of course not! It's…" Blondie's eyes were darting around, feverishly trying to focus on anything that wasn't Holly. But soon she made the mistake of glancing back at Holly to see if her odd behavior had been noticed, and she gave a labored sigh, dropping Holly's hand and slumping in defeat. "Okay, fine, yes, it's about Cupid."

"Do you _like_ her?" Holly asked, eyes wide and voice tinged with excitement. This time it was she who took a step forward, and Blondie who looked bashful. Blondie didn't answer her directly, instead averting her eyes toward the ground as her cheeks colored slightly. Holly let out a barely stifled squeal, having only just managed to cover her mouth with her hand in time. "Oh my Grimm, Blondie, you two would be _adorable_ together!"

Holly was filled with a giddy emotion that was similar to and yet entirely different from the feeling she got around Darling Charming, or anyone else she'd ever crushed on. It was the pure, unselfish joy a shipper got from a pairing going cannon, a ship sailing, whatever you wanted to call it. "Is that what you wanted me to write a story about?"

"Well…kind of," Blondie said, still flushed with embarrassment over coming clean about her crush on her adorable, pink-haired Greek goddess of a roommate. "But…I really don't know if I'm ready for her to know. I mean, she's way into _Dexter Charming_." She said his name with all the love she might show a scorpion who wandered into her room. "And now that Apple's aware of her feelings for Raven…well, eventually, Dexter might become available, and then…"

"And then it would be too late for you," Holly finished for her. Blondie nodded morosely.

"Assuming I even have a chance," she said quietly, fiddling with the ribbons on her baby blue dress. "I mean, I try not to get too down about it, but…she's the goddess of _love_. She could have her pick of almost anyone. And I'm…" Blondie pursed her lips, as though it physically hurt her to say the next words, "I'm not even technically a princess."

Holly hated to see Blondie so discouraged—it was almost as alien as seeing the normally confident and sure-footed Briar looking torn. The blonde was usually one of the most cheerful damsels around, and Holly knew that she must really have it bad for Cupid if she was getting this down over it.

"Do you really think Cupid cares about status?" she asked, gently angling Blondie toward a bench so that the two of them could sit down. "I think that's about the last thing I would be worried about if I were you. She's all for people loving each other in spite of obstacles and differences in destiny, right? And if _anyone_ is going to be open-minded about gender and stuff, it's going to be the goddess of love, right?"

Blondie smiled, though it was decidedly feeble. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she said. "But she really does have it bad for Dexter…I'm sorry, Holly, I don't even know why I'm taking up your time. I'm too scared to have anything posted about us. I mean, I know she wouldn't be mean or anything, but her laughing it off or something…that'd be just as bad."

Holly smiled sympathetically in understanding. "Don't worry about it, Blondie," she said. "Sometimes it helps just to talk to someone about it, right? And I won't tell anyone, don't worry about that. When and if you're ever ready for her to know, though…I've got your back."

Blondie turned and shot Holly a grateful smile. "Thanks," she said, with a more genuine smile. Then she hopped up from the bench, somehow full of her usual energy once again. "For now, though, I've got to get back to finding my next big story!"

Holly smiled as Blondie ran off to find the next big scoop, MirrorPad in one hand, teddy bear microphone in the other. She wasn't sure she could manage to be so energetic and cheerful if she were in love with her best friend. Then her features morphed into a more thoughtful expression.

Had everybody always been in love with everybody else?

 _Yes_ , a small voice in the back of her head commented. _It **is**_ _high school, after all.  
_

* * *

"Hey…Raven?"

Raven glanced up from her book. It was late—the sky outside was already dark enough that Raven had been reading by lamplight. Apple stood in front of her, already in her red and white apple-themed pajamas, fidgeting nervously and not quite meeting her roommate's eyes. Her teeth were biting down on her lower lip, their pearly-white hue creating striking contrast against the blood red. "Apple?" she asked, hesitantly, bookmarking her book and setting it off to the side. Apple's uncharacteristically timid behavior immediately set off alarm bells for Raven, who was already worried about her roommate as it was. Apple just hadn't been her usual ridiculously perky, incredibly affectionate self ever since Holly had uploaded that story about the two of them. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh! No, no, nothing's wrong," Apple replied quickly. Too quickly, Raven noted. Apple White excelled at many things, but lying, or just hiding things in general, was not one of them. "I just…I wanted to talk to my roommate, that's all!" She said this in a too-cheerful voice, smiling a smile that, while still adorable, was quite obviously forced.

"O…kay," Raven said, scooting back on her bed and gesturing for Apple to sit down. Again, Apple acted out of character, sitting tensely on the edge of the bed like she had a rod jammed down her spine instead of casually flopping down and invading Raven's personal space as was her norm. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Oh, nothing in particular," Apple hedged. "I just wanted to catch up with my roommate, that's all. Um…how was your day?"

"Good," Raven replied, her brows furrowing in concern. "Listen, Apple, are you sure you're—"

"Oh, that's wonderful news! My day was fableous, as usual. Briar and I went and got coffee before school, and then during Damsel-in-Distressing, I—"

Raven couldn't stand it anymore. "Apple!" she interrupted, loudly cutting the blonde off in the middle of her nervous rant. Apple's jaw snapped shut with an audible click, and her eyes shot to the floor, confirming Raven's suspicions that she'd been hedging. "What is this _really_ about?"

There was a long pause—so long, in fact, that Raven was half-convinced Apple wasn't going to answer her. And then…

"Do you…do you remember the story Holly wrote? About us?"

As if Raven would have assumed Apple could have been this torn up over any of Holly's other stories. "Yes," the brunette said, eyes never leaving Apple, who was currently twisting her fingers together in her lap, looking positively torn. "What about it?"

"Um…" Apple's teeth bit down on her plump lower lip, hard, from the looks of it, and with a start, Raven realized that the blonde's nails were digging into the flesh of her fingers. Without thinking, Raven lurched forward, over to the corner where Apple was perched, and grabbed her hands, holding them tightly in her own. Apple jumped, let out a quiet squeal of surprise, and stared at Raven with wide, Alice-blue eyes.

"Apple, _relax_ ," Raven urged, her voice steady, but her eyes full of concern. "You're going to hurt yourself." Half of Raven was kicking herself for moving and breaking Apple's chain of thought, worried that the blonde would take the distraction and run. But the other, significantly louder half, couldn't stand to see Apple acting so unlike herself—so s _cared_ , like a mouse who knew a cat was nearby but didn't know where it was—for even a second longer.

Raven chanced a glance at Apple to try to gauge her reaction. From this proximity their height difference became more apparent than ever. Apple was still staring up at her, her lips slightly parted—Raven's actions had apparently left her at a loss for words. Well, that was better than running or changing the subject, at least. "Listen, Apple, I…I can't just sit around and ignore this anymore. You've been acting—well, not like yourself recently, at least not around me. Did I do something? Please, if you just tell me, I can—"

Apple had moved with a speed that Raven had never seen from her before. Raven's mind seemed to short-circuit, comprehending the next split second as a rapid vignette of separate images.

Soft, plump hands on her cheeks.

The scent of apples overwhelming her senses.

Platinum blonde hair, engulfing her, soft curls brushing against her face.

Apple's eyelashes, long and heavy with mascara and beads of moisture that Raven hadn't noticed before.

And Apple's lips, crashing into her own with such force that it literally stole all the air from her lungs.

* * *

 **I** _ **really**_ **tried with the Rapple scene, guys. I hope it paid off! I got the idea for the scene right as I shut my laptop, and when I opened it again, unfortunately it decided to shut down and take like ten minutes to restart. Any other authors out there will know my pain at that moment. But I think I managed to write out the scene I imagined!**

 **Also: yes, my Apple White is chubby. Apparently it's book canon and I think it's adorable. Sue me :P**

 **I really hope you enjoyed this latest installment! Please leave a review!**


	9. Eight: Introspection and Imminence

**So here's chapter eight! Hope you guys enjoy it, and as always, please review! :D  
**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Eight: Introspection and Imminence**

* * *

Raven hadn't been effected by Holly's 'Rapple' story. To be honest, she'd been the target of far worse rumors since elementary school. The story itself hadn't caused her to question anything about herself.

What had caused her to question herself was her own reaction to Apple's reaction to the story.

Apple had been dead set on being close to Raven since the first day of school, when she'd discovered that Raven was to become her Evil Queen. It had been suffocating, obnoxious and just a little bit infuriating (especially all of Apple's hare-brained schemes to turn Raven evil), but after some time had passed, Raven gradually got used to it. The hand-holding, the clinging, Apple randomly popping up when she felt she wasn't getting enough attention…at first it had shocked, and even mortified the far more introverted Raven, but slowly she began to grow immune to this behavior, accepting it with little more than long-suffering sigh.

When Apple had abruptly begun distancing herself, and even actively taking steps to _avoid_ Raven, it had been a shock for more reasons than the obvious one. Despite the obvious worry she felt for her roommate due to this sudden change in behavior, Raven fully expected herself to be at least a little bit relieved that there wasn't a tiny, excitable blonde hanging off her arm.

But she wasn't.

Instead, whenever Apple would catch sight of her, then make some lame excuse to rush off, Raven felt something inside her chest squeeze, and not in the good way it sometimes did when Apple would do something unexpectedly and incredibly sweet for her. It was worse in class, when Apple would go out of her way to pair up with somebody, anybody other than Raven. It used to annoy Raven when Apple would grab onto her and loudly, playfully stake her claim on her. Now that she wasn't doing so, Raven found herself feeling almost ridiculously hurt, even wounded, when Apple made a beeline for Briar in Chemythstry. In less than a day, Apple had gone from practically glued to Raven's side to not being able to get away from Raven fast enough. And that hurt far more than Raven thought it strictly should, especially considering how annoyed she'd been by this behavior before it had abruptly stopped.

Now, though, Apple had made the reason for her avoidance after Holly's story came out abundantly clear.

And Raven had no idea how she felt.

She liked Dexter. She did. He was a sweet guy and he treated her well…or at least, he tried to, but the poor guy was just so…bumbling sometimes. Dexter was sweet and he never looked at Raven like she was the villain—like he was afraid of her. That had been one of the things that had drawn her to him, back when the whole school was scared she'd turn them into toads or something if they got on her bad side.

When she was with him, before and after he had finally worked up the courage to ask her out, she felt…nice. It wasn't exhilaration, or heart-pounding, necessarily…but it was nice.

With Apple, though…

With Apple, it always felt like an adventure. It didn't matter if they were going off to fly dragons together or just taking a detour on the way back from Crownculus class—somehow, Apple's almost childlike positivity and seemingly inexhaustible energy made everything feel like so much… _more_ …than it really was. When Apple would grab her hand and shoot her that dazzling smile, Raven felt like Apple could be taking her absolutely anywhere and she'd follow her there.

Apple had completely and utterly flipped Raven's life on its head the day they had met. Raven could say in complete honesty that she had never, ever met another person quite like Apple White. Apple was naïve, clingy and selfish, and didn't even realize it. Apple loved to be the center of attention and would plow right over the line if it got in her way. But when she looked at Raven with those eyes and that dazzling smile, it made Raven (cautious, cynical Raven) feel like she was the only thing Apple saw.

Dexter was safety, dates at the movies and niceness. Dexter was a warm, soft peck on the forehead because he was raised to be a gentleman.

Apple was unpredictability, unplanned adventures and exhilaration. Apple was a heated, desperate kiss like she absolutely couldn't hold back any longer.

And Raven had no idea what to do.

* * *

A hundred years...

It was such a very short amount of time in the grand scheme of things. Humans had been around for hundreds of thousands of years, after all. One person, one destiny, couldn't possibly hold any significance in the great story that was life.

And yet…

In the span of a hundred years, entire civilizations had crumbled and fallen to ashes, to dust. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost every single _year_. How many lives was that, in a hundred? Did those lives matter? Was that big enough to make a difference in the story?

Briar sat at her desk, staring out at the sky while Madam Maid Marian went on about…something or another. Something to do with princes and dragons, probably.

Princes…

Did it really count as rescue if she had to wait a hundred years for it? Hadn't she already suffered her fate by then? Wouldn't all of her friends, all of her family—wouldn't they all be dead already?

Briar was beginning to think that hers was a story in which there was no true rescue.

But when Holly wrote that story about her…something inside of her had twitched, as if awakening from a long slumber of its own. Something like…

Like hope.

She still wasn't sure if that was a good thing. Hope was a dangerous ally at the best of times, always ready to turn against its own. But at the same time, it was precious—a candle in a pitch black cave, or a light at the end of the tunnel. Hope was a lot like love, really. Intoxicating, euphoric, it leaves you feeling like you could do absolutely anything.

Until it's lost, or proven false. And then it feels like the whole world is crashing down around you, and you wish you'd never known that incredible feeling to begin with.

Briar stopped her thoughts there. She hated getting down—it caused her to want to sit around and feel sorry for herself and if she was busy doing that she couldn't go out and live the remainder of her days with her friends to the fullest. Besides that, she was aware that some of her peers looked up to her, and having a hexistential crisis simply would not do. Especially now, when so many of Ever After High's most basic principles were being uprooted and overturned, leaving many students confused about where they belonged. And of course Holly O'Hair's fanfiction blog, which had taken the school by storm since its first post, was causing some students to doubt themselves in other ways on top of that.

But Briar was of the firm belief that if things needed to change at Ever After High, or at least that they weren't 'just right' as they were, as Blondie would say. And if that meant uprooting every last ancient, biased foundation one by one (as it so often did when change of any kind came about), well, so be it. They would all just have to buckle their seatbelts and hold on tight for the ride.

As for Briar herself…well, she tried to remain unaffected by the whole frenzy. After all, Briar was usually far more laidback than her friends, and it was perfectly natural for her to completely ignore any rumors concerning herself, whether they left her in a positive light or a negative one. She had tried to do the same with Holly's story, and had halfway succeeded. The first bit was easy, because she really _didn't_ care if half the school was convinced she was in bittersweet love with her fairytale villain (although Faybelle did, if the way the entire cheerhexing squad looked even more terrified of their leader than usual was anything to go by). But she had to sympathize with the other subjects of Holly's fanfiction in that it was _very_ hard to remain completely unaffected by the story.

And try as Briar might to ignore the feeling, to push it down, Holly's story had brought it bubbling to the surface like water boiling over the pot, impossible to stop.

Hope.

A belief that, however fragile, however dangerous, there might just be a way out that wouldn't cause her entire story to unravel. And she didn't know how or why, or even whether the belief was founded by anything beyond Holly O'Hair's fanfiction, but something within Briar told her that the first step was to find Faybelle.

This was why she hated hope, she thought as she sighed and turned her attention back to Madam Maid Marian, who had, for some inexplicable reason, donned hand puppets. It made people do crazy things.

Then again, crazy things were kind of Briar's specialty.

* * *

Poppy walked into the dorm room she shared with Holly after a rather grueling practice session with Duchess to find her twin hunched over her desk, long locks splayed out around her like an enormous red halo.

She took her time on her way to her bed, removing her flats as she went and sighing softly as her feet felt the fresh air and hit the soft carpet. These practices were killer on her feet, and half the time her whole body ached from what could be anywhere between thirty minutes to two hours of holding herself in proper dance position. Yet the thought of walking out on Duchess, of just quitting, hadn't occurred to her since she first made Duchess come clean about her motive. It was kind of weird, really, but she supposed the time she spent with Duchess outweighed the aches she walked around with the next day.

She stopped halfway to tossing her bag on her bed, pausing on that last thought. Spending time with _Duchess_ outweighed physical pain? For a long moment Poppy stood there, letting the thought sink in. Then her eyes flitted back to Holly, whose arms were now stretching straight out across the wood of the desk, her face flat on the hard surface, and she decided that wasn't something she really needed to stress over at this particular second.

Dumping her bag haphazardly on the floor, she sauntered across the floor until she was staring directly down at her sister.

Holly twitched, but gave no other sign that she was aware her sister had even entered the room.

"Writer's block?"

A low, despairing moan told her all she needed to know. Poppy shook her head, rolling her eyes affectionately, and dropped her hand onto Holly's head, patting her sister reassuringly.

Living with a writer for her entire life meant that Poppy was completely unfazed by Holly's behavior, which may have alarmed anyone else.

"You'll get over it," she said. "You always do."

The reply she got in return sounded a lot like, "Not this time," but Holly's voice was clearly being muffled by both the wood her face was currently resting on and the generous hair tent surrounding her. Poppy rolled her eyes and dropped her hand. She knew better than to try to get Holly out of her weird funks. The only reason she'd said anything was out of obligation as her twin.

Crossing back to her side of the room, leaving Holly to bask in her despair (which she wasn't entirely sure Holly didn't actually kind of enjoy), she flung herself onto her own bed.

What was she doing?

Was she seriously developing feelings for _Duchess Swan_? Was she _really_ going to go there?

The idea that she might like a girl didn't bother Poppy. She tended to crush on boys more than girls but it wasn't like she'd never been there before. What disarmed Poppy wasn't the gender, but the person herself.

Fucking Duchess Swan.

 _Ha_ , she thought after a second. _Double meaning_.

But seriously. Duchess Swan wasn't the best person to be crushing on—in fact, Poppy was _pretty_ sure she was just about the worst. She didn't know if Duchess liked guys or girls—her raging jealousy over Apple White's veritable harem was, Poppy was quite sure, more out of jealousy over the attention than jealousy over the boys themselves. But even tabling that issue…Duchess was certainly not an easy person to love. Bitter, jealous, vengeful…not the best combination if things ever went sour.

But…

 _But._

Poppy was discovering that there was so much more to Duchess than the jealousy and the snark. Of course, she'd never _really_ thought Duchess was a genuinely bad person—it was far too obvious on the odd occasion she went too far that she regretted hurting those around her. But she'd never really bothered to look deeper, to find out what _was_ underneath that cracking bitter shell. Half of her really wished she hadn't now, because despite being unusually immune to all the petty crushes and swooning that came with being a teenage girl, Poppy couldn't help but melt a little when Duchess let herself just relax.

Because though she was oftentimes every bit as bitter and vengeful and jealous as she behaved, Duchess could be _incredibly_ sweet when she let down her spiky wall. There had been multiple occasions upon which Duchess had refused to let Poppy leave their practices before she had a look at Poppy's feet and/or legs to ensure that she hadn't strained or sprained anything. The jealousy, when not necessary as a defense mechanism, seemed to manifest as protectiveness and concern. What really killed Poppy was the way Duchess would look at her sometimes, in the middle of their dancing or during their idle chatting before they left, oak-colored eyes soft and warm, full of something Poppy never would have equated with Duchess before. She was starting to realize that, besides making Duchess somewhat bitter and quick to jealousy, the reality of her destiny and the way she was constantly coming in second made Duchess very attached to those people who did care (who, dare she think it, she cared for herself).

In a relationship, Poppy had no doubt that Duchess would be high-maintenance, jealous and possessive. That alone was enough to make Poppy hesitate. She had always been very independent, had never liked relying on anyone for anything she could do herself, and hated being held back from what she wanted to do. But…

But when Duchess looked at her like that, like Poppy was something precious that she was terrified of losing, she felt like she could want Duchess enough to let that slide, just a little bit.

And that was what scared her about potentially liking Duchess. Not that she was a girl, or even that, when provoked, her tongue was like a sharpened blade. Poppy was scared that she could lose herself in Duchess, and that for the first time in her life, she wouldn't be in complete control of herself and her emotions.

But this was all pointless. Duchess would never stoop so low as to even consider dating Poppy, who was not only a female, but didn't even have a fairytale to her name.

Sighing, she rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. As if this wasn't enough of a pain in the ass, Duchess had apparently decided that her skills were adequate (perfect) enough to invite an actual male to their next session. It wasn't as if the standards were particularly high (Sparrow Hood was hardly anybody's Prince Charming), but it signified something much more than that. It implied that Duchess was starting to hit the bar she had set for herself, and when she did, it would mean the end for their practices, and for herself and Duchess being anything more than indifferent acquaintances.

It was a little bit silly that such a prospect depressed her so much, and the fact that it did kind of made Poppy want to kick her own ass. It hadn't been much more than a month since Duchess had dragged her kicking and screaming into the suspiciously deserted classroom to begin with—being so depressed over losing a maybe-friendship she'd had for less than two weeks was pretty ridiculous. As was developing real feelings for anyone that she'd only had any real contact with for such a short period of time, she reminded herself.

Grimm, she was turning into Holly.

As if on cue, Holly slumped out of her chair and fell face-first onto her bed, letting out an utterly pitiful groan and kicking her feet half-heartedly.

Poppy rolled her eyes. Okay, maybe she wasn't _quite_ that bad just yet.

And she didn't have to be. All she had to do was clumsily (though she in actuality she was getting quite good) waltz her way through another few practice sessions with Duchess without allowing her feelings to grow any further.

Yep.

 _No_ problem.

She was Poppy O'Hair, after all. She was the last person who would ever lose herself over something as silly as a crush.

* * *

 **Okay! So that's chapter eight! I really hope you all liked it! As I have said before, I have no particular set schedule for the timing of metafic chapters and purely story chapters, and obviously this is one that focuses on story again. Please, bear with me—as the story continues and pairings expand and develop, obviously more time will need to be given to the story to really give it the fleshing out it deserves. There will be metafics throughout the story, obviously, as they are the driving force, but like I said, as more of the school starts to be affected and intertwined by Holly's fanfiction, more time will need to be spent on that. I don't want to cough out a bunch of cheap, short little cop-out bits around a big metafic when feelings and plots need to be focused on more.**

 **I really hope you guys understand and still enjoy both aspects of the story! Please remember to leave your reviews as always—you guys are really awesome about that and I really, really appreciate it! Please continue to review, as it really is my main motivation and I really do look forward to hearing from you guys!**


	10. Nine: Dabbling in Darise

**Hey guys, I'm back with a new chapter! Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to review the previous chapter even though I know it got bumped really quickly D:**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Nine: Dabbling in Darise  
**

* * *

Something had definitely happened between Apple and Raven.

Neither Holly, nor anybody else, could be sure precisely what it had been, the problem being that Raven and Apple were each other's roommates. Therefore, there was no nosy roommate to listen in and subsequently reveal the issue in hushed tones in the castleteria. However, the general consensus was that something significant _had_ happened, because now instead of Raven sending hurt looks in Apple's general direction, it was Apple who was following Raven's every movement from across the room with her blue eyes, lower lip caught anxiously between her teeth.

When Briar marched into Apple's dormitory, declaring the whole situation ridiculous, and returned less than five minutes later looking annoyed and muttering under her breath about stupid, stubborn blondes, Holly pretty much resigned herself to not knowing what was going on. If Briar, Apple's self-proclaimed BFFA of more than ten years, couldn't get the truth out of her, then Apple must be truly committed to remaining tight-lipped this time around.

Therefore, she was completely floored when she trudged into her room after a long day of classes and thinking too hard only to find Apple White looking up at her with wide blue eyes from her own bed.

"Hi," Apple said, giving a bashful wave.

"Uh…Apple?" she managed, unable to think of anything more intelligent to say in response to this situation.

"Poppy let me in," Apple said with a weak smile. Her voice instantly set off several alarm bells in Holly's mind. It was much more subdued, and much quieter, than her usual bouncy, boisterous tone. That, and Apple did look _very_ tired. "Sorry, I just wanted to be sure I caught you."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Holly replied out of habit, carefully depositing her bag on the floor before walking over and tentatively taking a seat next to Apple. "What's…what's up?"

Apple blinked, looking at Holly with wide eyes, as if she'd been broken from a trance. "Oh, yes! Well…I was wondering if you could…" She trailed off, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap as she stared down at them. She didn't seem to be able to maintain eye contact for very long. "If you could give me some advice," she finished softly, finally tearing her eyes away from her fingers to meet Holly's gaze.

"M—me?" Holly was even more surprised than she had been by Apple White welcoming her to her own room. If Apple wanted advice, surely she would have gone to Briar? Not only was the future sleeping beauty her best friend, but besides Cupid, Briar seemed to be one of the people that most students turned to for advice-giving in general. Holly, on the other hand, hardly knew Apple. They were friendly acquaintances, at best. "Um... _why_?"

Holly winced at her own words. There had to have been a better, less rude way to say that. Apple didn't seem to mind, though. The blonde swallowed nervously.

"I thought you might…understand best," she said. "I think…I think I messed up."

"Oh…" Holly really didn't know what to say to this. She could comfort a crying stranger, no problem, but this? This quiet, meek version of Apple White unnerved her.

"With Raven," Apple clarified.

Oh.

 _OH._

Suddenly Holly was at full attention. If Apple 'messed up' regarding Raven, and she thought Holly would understand better than any of her BFFAs...well, that could only mean one thing. Well, several things, actually, but revolving around the same general meaning. "Okay," Holly said, gently, "how did you mess up?"

At this completely innocent question, Apple flushed redder than Holly's hair. "Well, I…I might have…you know. Kind of…kissed her, a little bit."

Holly blinked. "A little bit?" she repeated. _How do you kiss someone 'a little bit'?_

Apple's blush deepened. "Maybe a little more than that," she conceded, misinterpreting Holly's disbelief.

Holly's mind was racing, a million thoughts whirring past each other and colliding into an unintelligible mess. The first single thought that made it through the chaos was ' _Wow, this is_ _ **actually**_ _happening'_ , followed shortly by the much more excited ' _I was_ _**right**_ _!'_. Then she schooled her features, barely restraining the idiotic smile that was threatening to split her face. Apple was clearly upset or conflicted by something—it wouldn't be appropriate to look like a child in a candy shop…

Wait. Apple kissed Raven.

Apple was in Holly's room, looking subdued and asking for advice.

"What…what happened then?" Holly asked, voice full of concern. She scooted closer to Apple and laid her hand tentatively over the girl's forearm. Holly felt Apple relax slightly beneath her touch, and Apple took a deep, shaky breath.

"She looked at me like I'd grown another head," the blonde replied with a sigh. "And then she asked me how long I'd felt this way."

"And how long… _had_ you?" Holly asked, hesitantly, already suspecting the answer.

Apple smiled wanly, her eyes dimmer than usual. The expression brought back startling memories of the time she had read from that book of spells and gone temporarily villainous. Holly realized with a jolt that she'd never seen Apple looking anything less than bright-eyed and energetic. She wondered briefly how tiring it must be to have to be happy all the time. "You'd probably know that better than I would," she replied with a self-deprecating lilt to her voice. "Apparently I've been blinded by my destiny for quite some time."

Holly's eyes widened, and she felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. She'd never meant to imply… "I didn't mean to…that's not what I meant, in my story, I—"

Apple shook her head, waving a hand as if to bat away Holly's frantic words. "No, no, it was nothing to do with you at all," she said. "Well, I guess your story made me actually think about it, but…but I was feeling a little different for a while. I just never stopped to actually question it until I read your story about Raven and me. I guess I've really been caught up in myself, haven't I?"

"Not at all!" Holly replied, sitting up straighter. Then she paused. "Maybe just a little?"

Apple giggled, and Holly felt a weight dissolve from her chest. It seemed that when Apple White was unhappy, the world just seemed a little darker, somehow. But at least she was still herself. "It's okay, I know I have been," she said, tucking a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "I just…I can't believe I didn't even realize I had…feelings…for Raven, until I had it literally spelled out for me."

"Well…are you sure?" Holly asked even as she kicked herself for doing so. She would love to see one of her pairings go canon but…but she would never forgive herself if her writing made someone question themselves and do something they may regret later. "I mean, I know I wrote it but it's still just a story—"

Apple cut her off before she could finish, however. "Don't worry, Holly," she said, flashing just a peek of the smile that had won the hearts of the entire male (and a portion of the female) population of Ever After High. "I thought about that myself, for a long time. But when it came down to it…I had to be honest with myself. Fableous though your stories are, I'd been feeling...differently for Raven for a _fairy_ long time before you ever started your blog."

Holly felt her body sag in relief. "Okay," she said in a calming tone, mainly to calm herself down, "so…how did Raven take it?"

Here, Apple's expression fell slightly, and Holly saw the knuckles of one of her hands turn white as it gripped the other. "Well, after I told her, she just nodded. And then she said she needed to think about some things. She made me look her in the eyes and promise that I wouldn't think she was mad at me before she left to stay with Maddie," here her cherry-red lips curved into a fond smile. "Raven is just _so_ sweet, you know…always concerned about me, always letting me drag her around, and I…" Her lips now turned downward as her incredibly blue eyes filled with tears. "And I'm always dragging her around and trying to convince her that she should be evil when she's fairy obviously anything _but_. How could she _ever_ want me as a friend, let alone as…as anything more?" Apple's voice broke on the last word, and a hand shot up to cover her mouth, muffling a sob.

Holly felt something stab at her heart, like someone had taken it and jabbed several sharp needles into it. She'd done this. Briar had said it was for the better good, and half the school swore they saw it, but it had been she, Holly, who had ultimately caused so much confusion and heartache for Apple. The fact that Apple truly did have feelings for Raven was little consolation as she watched Apple struggle not to fall apart beside her. " _Apple_ ," she said, her own voice heavy with emotion. "You're…you're _not_ always making her do things she doesn't want to do. I mean, maybe at first, but...but you've _changed,_ Apple. I see it. We all do. It's obvious to all of us that you care far more about Raven than your own story. Why do you think my story about you and Raven was so popular?"

Apple muffled another sob into her hand, her exquisite curls falling over her face.

"Come on, Apple," Holly said, scooting closer and ducking down so she could see Apple beneath the curtain of hair. Gently, she reached up and prized Apple's hand away from her mouth. Apple looked down at her, and Holly felt her heart twist just a little more at the look of sorrow and, unmistakably, fear on her beautiful features. She knew exactly what that fear was of. Fear of rejection, of the loss of a precious friend. The fear of not being in control of your own heart for the very first time. "She didn't say no, did she?"

Apple shook her head wordlessly, and sniffled.

"See?" Holly asked, her tone gentle and (she hoped) uplifting. "She said she needs some time to think, so give her time. Trust her. Trust that she'll come back to you, whether as a friend or something more. Trust that she won't abandon you just because you're secretly just as human as everyone else and can't control how your heart feels."

Apple giggled again, then hiccupped.

"I can't promise you she feels the same way," Holly said softly. She wished she could, but even if she had ever been able to get a read on Raven, she would never take the risk that she could be wrong and give Apple false hope. "But I _can_ promise you that she cares about you—fairy much. That's just as obvious to me and everyone else as the fact that you care about her."

Apple sniffed, then dabbed at her eyes. "I'm sorry, Holly," she said, and she truly looked it. "I didn't mean to just fall apart in front of you. Obviously," she giggled, brokenly. "But thank you for…well, for this." She stood up, and Holly did the same, intending to walk her to the door as any proper princess would.

"You don't have to apologize," she replied, instantly. "Or thank me. It was my stupid story that started all this, and even if it wasn't, I hate seeing any of my friends upset."

Apple turned around at the door and shook her head. "I loved your story," she said, her smile genuine. "You're a fairy talented writer, Holly. And I've been thinking, and even if Raven…even if she doesn't…" Apple took a steadying breath, "I'm still glad that I actually know how I feel now, and if it weren't for your story, I don't know if I'd ever have understood why I feel the way I do for Raven, at least not until she was taken from me one way or another. At least this way I have a chance."

Apple grinned her bright, dazzling smile, and Holly was unable to keep a smile off of her own lips. She felt a wave of relief course through her at the return of the Apple they all knew and loved. _Things are going to be okay_ , she thought as Apple gave her a small wave and the door shut behind her, leaving Holly alone in the room.

Feeling lighter than she had in weeks, Holly returned to her bed and flopped down, grabbing her laptop from her bag and beginning to write.

Vaguely, she wondered if all this femslash writing was casting doubts upon her own sexuality. While she was hardly the type to care about what others thought about her (especially when it happened to be right), she decided to try something a little different this time around.

* * *

 **Damsels, Distress and Doubting**

Daring Charming's year had been…well, eventful, to say the least.

In the course of less than a year, he'd had his most core beliefs shaken and overturned by events, both small and large, from Cerise Hood proving that girls can be just as physically capable as boys at a bookball game to his own sister stealing away the destiny he'd been prepared for since before he really knew what it meant.

Of course, one of these events was far more traumatic (and emasculating) than the other, but it had all added up to make for one very rotten year for Daring Charming.

He'd taken it all very well, all things considered. He'd accepted his own shortcomings and mistakes with all the grace and gallantry that his father had taught him a prince should always possess. Sure, he'd had his less-than-royal moments, but on the whole, he'd presented a chivalrous, gentlemanly picture one would expect of a Prince Charming.

It was okay, then, if in private, he was a little bit less than okay, wasn't it? If, in the very deepest part of his heart, he resented Darling, just a little bit, for being a better Prince Charming than he was the only time it really counted? It was okay, then, if, when no one was looking, he couldn't stop the tears that fell, unbidden, when he realized that, for the first time in his life, he didn't know who he was meant to be?

"Hey, are you okay?"

Daring blinked and started at the unexpected voice. Instinctively, he rubbed his arm roughly over his eyes, wiping any remaining trace of tears from them before turning to face the intruder.

Cerise. Of course. The first girl who'd ever challenged his previously steadfast beliefs. And now she was watching him, brows furrowed in concern, eyes searching him, making him feel naked and weak beneath their scrutiny.

"Of course I'm alright!" he replied, affecting what he hoped sounded something like his usual pompous tone. "I'm Daring Charming."

"Riiight…" Cerise replied, raising one eyebrow. She sat down on top of the table he was situated at and glanced around at their surroundings appraisingly. "That's why you're all alone in some abandoned corner of the library on a Saturday afternoon, looking like you were just cry—"

"Stop!"

She blinked down at him in mild surprise. He felt his face heat up and turned away, averting his gaze to the wood of the table she was now sitting on. "Don't say it," he said, in a much softer voice. "Please."

He felt Cerise's gaze on him as they sat in silence for a long moment.

"You know, there's nothing to be ashamed of," she finally said. He almost asked her what she was talking about—his pride as a man was on the line, after all—but stopped himself. What was the point?

"A prince does not cry," Daring said quietly, his hand clenching into a fist in his lap, face screwed up in self-deprecation.  
"He does if he's had his whole world turned upside down," Cerise replied simply, her voice free of judgement or, Daring was surprised to note, pity. "I think we've had a conversation like this before, haven't we? Girls don't play bookball, right?"

The ghost of a smile lit Daring's face as he finally met her gaze. Part of him wanted to argue the point with her—it wasn't the _same_ —but another part of him was just too tired to bother anymore. "Touche," he said. "What are you doing in the library on a day like this, Cerise?"

She shrugged, tilting her head toward the ceiling as she did so. He felt an odd sensation pass over him as she did so—relief, of course, at being out from under her scrutinizing gaze, but also, far more surprisingly, a vague sense of loss when he could no longer see her silver-gray eyes. "Same thing you are, I guess," she said. "Thinking." Then she turned back to him and smiled roguishly. "Though you'd better not let the rest of the school know you're in here. If you're not careful, they might think you've got some brains behind that pretty face."

Daring chuckled good-naturedly. "I suppose it would rather clash with my image," he replied. Not to mention the fact that he had been crying like a damsel only moments before she had found him… But for some reason, the fact that it had been Cerise to see him in such a state bothered him less than he might have thought.

"Yeah," Cerise began, "but you know something? I don't think there are a whole lot of people here who completely fulfill their 'image'. I mean, Raven's supposed to be the 'Evil Queen', right? But I've never met a bigger softie who was less evil. Sparrow is supposed to be this noble defender of the poor, but...just look at him." She raised both eyebrows in meaning, and Daring had to agree. It was hard to imagine the self-absorbed rocker doing anything for anyone besides himself. "I mean, even Apple doesn't really fit the image of Snow White. She's supposed to be this sweet, docile little thing, and she bounces around like a human battery, clinging to her 'villain' like they're BFFAs."

Daring smiled weakly, though it faded slightly at the mention of Apple White. Cerise regarded him with sympathy written over her features. "You know, it's not like you're never going to have a destiny now," she said after a moment. "You'll just be the hero of another story. Maybe save a different damsel. You're Daring Charming, after all." Cerise gave an exaggerated eye roll, and this time, Daring gave a real smile in return.

Cerise grinned and hopped off the table. "Well, unfortunately, I've actually got to do some studying in here," she said, stretching languidly, fingers interlocked, arms extended over her head. "I'll see you around, Prince Charming."

She was halfway down the aisle when Daring called out to her.

"Cerise!"

She turned, eyebrow raised in question.

Daring scratched at the back of his head, feeling his face heating as he did so. "Um…thank you," he managed, unable to bring himself to meet her eyes. Then he felt a sort of warm breeze, and blinked, looking up at Cerise, who was now right in front of him, wearing that roguish smile once again.

"No need to thank me," she said. "I could never ignore a prince in distress."

And, before he had time to reply, or even feel embarrassed, she had leaned in, and he felt an impossibly soft, but firm pressure against his cheek. Half a second later, it was gone, and Cerise was pulling away, her cheeks just barely dusted with red. Daring stared at her, open-mouthed, as she gave him a final smile and wave before turning her back on him and walking back down the row of books and out of sight.

Slowly, he reached up and touched the place where her lips had met his skin. It felt warmer than the rest of his body, somehow.

 _Save a different damsel_ , she'd said.

Maybe the girl he needed wasn't a _damsel_ at all.

* * *

Blondie Lockes was never one for spacing out in class. You never knew when a new scoop was going to pop up, after all!

Today, however, her mind was not as sharp as it usually was. Her headspace was not just right, and it was all to do with the question on everybody's mind—was 'Rapple' going to happen?

She spellculated that the outcome would affect a lot more students than just Raven and Apple, not the least of which was Dexter Charming. But that's hexactly where Blondie's concerns lay—not with Raven and Apple themselves, but with Dexter Charming, should Raven and Apple become a legitimate couple. As she doubted very much that a three-way, polyamorous relationship would result (she doubted Apple was the sharing type), the most likely outcome to that outcome was that Dexter Charming would be left heartbroken and single. Which meant that he would not be dating Raven Queen.

Which meant that Cupid could potentially have a chance with him.

Which meant that Blondie's heart would end up more torn and tattered than if it had been caught in a bear trap.

Metaphorically speaking, of course.

 _Grimm_ , why did she have to go falling for her BFFA, who just happened to be, on top of that, her roommate? That was like, journalism rule number one: never fall in love with your interviewee.

Well, something like that, at least. It was the same principle.

And why did that rule exist to begin with? Well…

Blondie glanced over at her unfairly adorable, cotton-candy haired roommate, who was sitting in the seat diagonal to her, hunched over a pink notebook. Ever curious (some might call it nosy, but Blondie disagreed), Blondie craned her neck slightly to see what Cupid was so focused on, and instantly had to fight back the bile that rose in her throat. _Mrs. Dexter Charming._ Of course.

Blondie sighed laboriously and sunk down in her seat. Unfortunately, her sigh was a lot louder than she had anticipated, and drew the attention of her BFFA. Frowning in concern, Cupid chanced a glance at the teacher before leaning toward Blondie. "Is everything okay?" she whispered, melodic voice filled with such genuine concern that it made Blondie want to fall apart and confess everything in her arms.

But that wouldn't do. So, steeling her resolve, Blondie sat up straighter and gave her BFFA her most convincing smile. "Of course, everything is just right," she whispered back. "Just bored, that's all. You know the feeling, right, _Mrs. Dexter Charming_?"

Oh, Grimm, she was a masochist.

Cupid flushed a shade darker than her hair, smiling bashfully and winking at Blondie before turning back to the lesson, subtly closing her notebook as she did so.

Blondie's smile faded slowly as she sank back into her chair. It wasn't impossible to act like she was happy for Cupid now that Dexter was looking to be more and more within her reach. Blondie was a naturally cheerful and energetic person—as a journalist and MirrorCast personality, she had to be! But that didn't mean her chest didn't ache when Cupid swooned over the clumsy, younger Prince Charming, or that Cupid's casual, everyday affectionate touches didn't leave her a little bit breathless. She just didn't know what else to do.

She was the best friend. She'd been the best friend long before she'd (dare she think it) fallen for Cupid. She'd been practically grandfathered in to the friend zone, and she _knew_ encouraging Cupid about Dexter was doing absolutely nothing to help her. But if she confessed to Cupid, and Cupid (inevitably) didn't feel the same… Blondie would lose not only the girl she loved, but her best friend as well, all in one go.

She puffed her cheeks out and doodled aimlessly on the half-assed page of notes she'd been working on. That was the thing about falling for your best friend. There was no in-between, no time to get used to anything. There was no 'crush phase' and no 'more-than-friends' phase. She'd fallen for her best friend long before she had any idea she felt anything more than friendship for her. How could she not?

Even tabling the fact that her BFFA was the literal embodiment of love itself, Blondie couldn't see how anyone in her position could possibly _not_ have fallen for Cupid. Cupid was impossibly sweet, incredibly loyal and selfless to a fault, forever swallowing her own pride and feelings for the sake of others, particularly in the matter of 'Dexven' (as it had been unanimously dubbed by the student body at large). Cupid was also incredibly affectionate, something Blondie selfishly reveled in despite the fact that she knew the _right_ thing to do would be to pull away or confess how she felt. Blondie had long-since accepted the fact that some people had incredible willpower, and that she was not one of those people, particularly when it came to Cupid. And how could anyone blame her? She practically _lived_ for Cupid's hugs—warm, tight, and candy-scented, not at all like those weak, flimsy hugs other girls gave each other.

And that wasn't even touching on her looks…

 _Ding-dong-ding-dong. Ding-dong-ding-dong._

Blondie blinked. Had class already ended?

"Blondie?"

"Huh? Oh!"

Blondie bounced up and grabbed her bag, quickly stuffing her books into it, not really caring if anything got bent. Cupid was watching her with that same concerned expression, and the last thing Blondie wanted was to make her BFFA worry over her.

"Sorry, I was thinking about my next MirrorCast!"

It was a blatant lie, and Blondie might have felt bad about it, had she thought that Cupid actually believed her. She could tell that her Greek goddess of a best friend didn't buy that hexcuse for a second, though, judging from the way Cupid's eyebrows furrowed just the slightest bit as she regarded Blondie. But she didn't question Blondie any further, which was really what she had been aiming for to begin with.

"Oh, I see…that reminds me, I loved your MirrorCast with Holly O'Hair!" Cupid complimented, quickly covering up her concern with a smile as the two girls exited the classroom. She effortlessly locked her arm around Blondie's, who accepted the gesture with practiced grace. Inside, however, the blonde's heart raced mutinously. "I was thinking of getting her on my show as well! You know, for an inside look at how she's influencing romance at school."

"That's a spelltacular idea!" Blondie gushed, excited at the thought of getting the inside scoop. Her arm tightened unconsciously around Cupid's in her excitement as she whirled around to meet her eyes, and Cupid giggled at how cute the energetic reporter was when she got into her element. "Really! I want to know how she's turning everything on its head with her writing! Plus, if you have her on your show, maybe she'll give advice—" Blondie stopped herself, blushing hard.

Cupid raised an eyebrow, a confused half smile playing on her lips. "Advice?" she asked, eyeing her friend. "Do you have your eye on someone, Blondie?"

"What? No, of course not!" Blondie replied, her voice an octave higher than usual. Then she cleared her throat and faced forward again, quickening her pace so that Cupid was half-dragged for several feet before she managed to catch up. "You know me—my only relationship is with my show! No time for love!"

Cupid shot Blondie a look. "There's always time for love," she replied, her voice gentle but serious. "And," she added, more playfully this time as she bumped her arm against Blondie's side, "you should keep in mind who you're talking to before you try to lie about matters of the heart."

Her expression was playful, but when Blondie finally turned back to meet Cupid's gaze, she noticed with a pang that there was just the tiniest trace of hurt in those bright blue eyes. Of course there was. They were BFFAs—of course Cupid didn't understand why Blondie wouldn't tell her who she was crushing on. But…well, there was no helping that for now.

"Okay, okay, I get it," Blondie replied, exaggerating an eye roll. "The whole 'Goddess of Love' thing again." Cupid raised an eyebrow in mock challenge, and Blondie grinned back at her before schooling her expression and shrugging. "Maybe this is the one time you're wrong."

Cupid hummed thoughtfully as the two girls neared their dorm room. "I guess anything's possible," she replied after a moment. "But not likely. I've never been wrong yet!"

"There's a first time for everything," Blondie replied in a sing-song tone, and Cupid nudged her again, causing her to giggle.

"Well, I'm not going to push the issue," Cupid said, pulling the key to their room out of her purse. Then she turned, tapping a surprised Blondie on the nose with it. "But I want to be the first one to know when you're ready."

 _Too late for that_ , Blondie thought. But she rolled her eyes playfully and smiled at Cupid, who was apparently satisfied with that. In the few seconds it took the pink-haired girl to unlock the door, Blondie took a deep breath.

It wasn't in her nature to repress anything about herself, including her feelings. She wasn't sure how much longer she could bear it. If Cupid had been anyone else, she would have confessed as soon as she felt something, but…

But she just couldn't risk losing her BFFA.

This was _so_ not just right.

* * *

 **So I decided to try a het metafic! I'm not one for shipping het pairings, so I really hope I did an okay job!**

 **Please, remember to review! I didn't get many at all for my last chapter, and I don't know if it was just because it was bumped really fast or just wasn't a good chapter, but it was really hard for me to get this out because it's just demotivating when you don't get reviews! I'll never threaten not to write more if I don't get reviews, because I don't believe in that, but please keep in mind that it's a huge part of my motivation to know that you guys are still reading/liking my work!**

 **As always, thank you so much for reading/reviewing! I'll see you next chapter!**


	11. Ten: When Action Becomes Inevitable

**I'm back with chapter ten! It was hard for me to get this one out- I got stuck at several points and the individual parts of the story changed quite a bit, but you guys were so great about leaving reviews that I just felt really motivated to work through it! Thank you so, so much for all of your fantastic reviews, they really make my day and really help me to keep writing! So here's chapter 10- I hope you like it!**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Ten: When Action Becomes Inevitable**

* * *

Holly's little venture into 'Darise' appeared to have gone over relatively well with the student body, though it wasn't causing the mass speculation and the occasional shipping war that 'Rapple' had. Holly did notice that Cedar Wood, for one, seemed a little bummed, though this subtle change was, for the most part, overshadowed by Daring Charming's foreseeable pursuit of Cerise Hood, who was not having it. Lizzie Hearts didn't appear too pleased with her latest story, either, as she had been seen slicing a number of roses right at their flower, one by one, rather sullenly proclaiming, "Off with their buds!" as she did so. As Lizzie had somewhat moved past this behavior, Holly took this reversion as a sign that something had the future Queen of Hearts in a foul mood, though she wasn't brave enough to actually attempt to find out if her story really was responsible.

Shivering slightly, she turned her attention elsewhere, and her eyes focused on their new subject as if drawn in by a magnet. Darling and Rosabella, arriving in the castleteria together, Rosabella laughing at something while Darling smiled gamely. Holly felt something squeeze painfully in the vicinity of her chest. Why did she have to go and get a crush on Darling Charming? She was more popular than the vast majority of princes at Ever After High—of course she was going to have lots of damsels chasing after her as well as the princes (toward whom she showed little to no interest), many of them, though it pained her to think it, quite pretty. Holly didn't consider herself ugly by any means, but compared to the likes of Rosabella Beauty, Apple White or Lizzie Hearts…well, she felt quite plain. As an author, beautiful subjects were always wonderful and complex to write, but as a girl, Holly still felt the petty pangs of insecurity just like all teenage girls.

She sighed and returned to her own tray. Her breakfast sandwich wasn't looking so appealing to her.

"Holly? Are you alright?"

Holly blinked and looked up. Apple White was looking down at her, concern written over her incredibly pretty features. "Oh, yeah," Holly replied, unthinking. And then, after a moment, "Yep, I'm totally fine! I was just zoning out a little, I guess."

"Really?" Apple glanced from Holly to Darling, brows furrowed slightly in confusion. "Because you seemed kind of down." She took the seat across from Holly and leaned forward, resting her chin on her interlaced fingers. "Come on, Holly—what's wrong? I can't stand to see one of my friends upset! Did…did you have a fight with Darling?"

Holly's eyes widened. Apple had jumped to a conclusion, but had only been half right. "No, that's not—"

"Darling!" Apple was standing up again, waving emphatically to draw attention to herself. Holly let out a soft groan/whimper and sunk into her seat, wishing that, like Raven, she had the power to disappear from here and reappear somewhere else.

Across the castleteria, Darling turned, curly white-blonde and blue highlighted locks splaying out behind her in what could only be called slow motion. She glanced around for a second before her eyes focused in on Apple, and she cocked her head, donning a painfully cute (in Holly's opinion), curious smile. She turned to Rosabella and said something, then headed over in the direction of the two damsels.

"Hi Apple," she greeted. Then she turned to Holly and her brows furrowed in confusion. "Holly?" she asked, ducking down slightly to try and meet Holly's eyes. She leaned over the table and rested a soft, slightly calloused hand on Holly's arm. "Is everything alright?"

Instantly, Holly straightened, flushing as dark as the apple on Apple's tray. "Oh! Yes! I mean, everything's fine!" She felt tingles radiate out from the place Darling's hand was resting. "How—how are you, Darling?"

Darling raised her eyebrows, still wearing that adorably confused expression. "I'm doing just fine," she said, removing her hand from Holly's arm, much to the latter's disappointment. Then Holly nearly jumped out of her skin when Darling circled around the table to sit next to her. "I'm more concerned about you. I hate to see a beautiful damsel looking so troubled."

It was essentially the same thing Apple had said, but from Darling's lips, the words made Holly's insides quiver and turn to mush. "I…I'm really fine, I promise," Holly said. "I was just zoning out a little, like I told Apple." When Darling didn't look convinced, Holly gave a little, forced laugh and (though her mind was screaming for her to stop) lightly nudged Darling in the side with her elbow. "You know us writers, always off in our own little world."

 _Oh, my Grimm. Holly, you complete and utter geek. You want this girl to_ like _you, and you're acting like a complete clown!_

But Darling didn't seem to take it badly at all—in fact, her face lit up in a dazzling beam that could only be described as positively charming. "Well, you _are_ an incredible writer," she replied. Her blue eyes were resting on Holly, and her gaze left Holly with the strangest feeling, like in this moment, all of Darling's attention was focused solely on her. It was like being under a giant spotlight, equal parts thrilling and terrifying. What about her was so interesting that it deserved this attention?

"Ooh, I agree!" Apple chimed in, nodding enthusiastically. She, at least, appeared to be feeling better than she had the last time Holly had spoken with her, though Holly hadn't noticed any change in the situation between the blonde and her object of affection. But that was the thing about Apple, the thing that really made her shine—she always managed to be truly happy, to smile, no matter what. "There's something about the way you write that's just so… _enchanting._ It really takes me there, you know?"

"So what were you thinking about so hard while you were 'zoning out'?" Darling asked, grinning playfully. Grimm, how could one girl be so incredibly beautiful and achingly handsome all at once? There had to be some kind of rule somewhere, in some storybook, that was being broken. "Your next story?"

"I…" Holly hesitated. She was never a very good liar, but she couldn't tell Darling what she'd _really_ been thinking about—not now. "Yes," she said after a long moment. "Yes, I was. I think…" She turned her head, finally facing Darling's devastatingly charming smile and twinkling eyes head-on. Holly took in everything in that moment, from her long, white-blonde curls to her dress that was more armor than frills and ribbons. She thought about the way she felt when she saw Darling so close to Rosabella, and about the way she felt now, with Darling so close, her heart beating a fast, frenzied rhythm against her rib cage.

"I think it will be about a prince."

* * *

Poppy would (reluctantly) admit that she had harbored a (very, very small) torch for Sparrow Hood once upon a time.

But after having spent a grand total of fifteen minutes in his constant company, she was about ready to break his precious guitar over his head.

Poppy was seriously wondering what the hex had been going through Duchess's mind when she thought that Sparrow would be of _any_ help whatsoever. She supposed Duchess wasn't so worried about what Sparrow thought of her, given their odd (and much gossiped/rumored) relationship (someone (and Poppy highly suspected an inside job) had even begun a rumor about a polyamorous relationship between the three of them). Nobody was exactly positive what they were to each other, but Poppy was fairly certain they were neither romantically interested in each other nor friends by the traditional definition, based on the mutual disgust they had shown for each other on various occasions. Still, they seemed to share some common ground, as Sparrow was the only person Duchess ever seemed to be even halfway close to.

Whatever the reasoning had been, it had obviously not been sound.

Sparrow was alternating between obnoxious singing and riffing on his guitar and provoking Duchess (Poppy was fairly certain this was intentional) into entirely unproductive ranting (which involved a fair bit of honking and some flapping that Poppy secretly found kind of adorable).

And now, having been forcibly stripped of his guitar (Duchess was fucking _scary_ strong when she was pissed off, Poppy noted for future reference), he had taken to making completely unsubtle advances on Poppy. This was obnoxious for more reasons than one—not only was it very annoying, but it was also starting to make Poppy doubt her previous assumption that there was nothing romantic between Duchess and Sparrow. This, she cleverly surmised via a combination of the way Duchess was stomping around the room, glaring daggers in their general direction, squawking out orders even more snappishly than usual, and just generally looking like she was about to murder somebody (presumably Poppy). Poppy was very tempted to point out to her that this had been all Duchess's idea, but valued her life too much to say anything. A jealous Duchess Swan was not someone to be fucked with.

 _But to be fucked_ _ **by**_ … _too bad she wants to murder me._

Poppy was forcibly jerked from her less than pure thoughts by an unwelcome hand curling around her hip.

"What do you say we get our rock and roll on after this?" Sparrow asked in a low, yet carrying voice, causing Poppy's nose to wrinkle in distaste. "If you know what I mean." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and she rolled her eyes. She knew Sparrow too well to think he was actually as lecherous as he came off, but it didn't mean she appreciated the sleazeball antics.

"Sparrow, I swear to Grimm if you don't remove that hand in the next _two seconds_ , I will _personally_ ensure you no longer _have_ a hand to remove!" Duchess shrieked, her eyes flashing as she drew herself to her full height, hands clenched into fists at her sides. "Focus on the _routine_ , not Idiot Number Two!" She actually stomped her foot before turning on her heel and stalking over to the stereo.

Poppy's eyes narrowed in irritation. She didn't particularly care for being referred to as 'Idiot Number Two', no matter how upset Duchess was that Sparrow was paying more attention to Poppy than to herself. She had bitten her tongue up to this point, knowing that any snide remarks would only make her situation worse, but Duchess was _really_ starting to try her patience.

Sparrow held his hands up in mock surrender and stepped away from Poppy, who let out a small sigh of relief. She really could not fathom why she had ever liked him. Sure, he was a rocker and a rebel (of the non-royal/rebel variety), two things that appealed to her own rebellious streak, but _Grimm_ , the boy was annoying.

 _Good, Duchess can_ have _him. They deserve each other._

Poppy clenched her jaw and inwardly chastised herself for the petty thought. The one thing this room did _not_ need was another jealous girl, and the one thing Poppy did _not_ need was to be getting jealous over Duchess in the first place. She'd already decided that she was just going to grin and bear it through the remainder of the practices and then walk away like she'd never seen behind Duchess's mask. Getting jealous over Duchess getting jealous over Sparrow was not only petty, but entirely counterproductive. And not like Poppy at all. Grimm, what this girl was doing to her…

Simultaneously, she felt the back of Sparrow's hand 'accidentally' brush up against her ass and Duchess's hawk-like glare zero in on the gesture.

 _Grimm_ , this was going to be a long practice.

* * *

Poppy's prediction came true, not that she'd expected anything less. Between Sparrow's sloppy flirtations and Duchess's increasingly shrill sniping, Poppy had resorted to looking at the clock every few minutes or so, wondering how much longer she was going to be stuck there.

Finally, the clock struck 5:30, and Poppy heaved an audible sigh of relief, running a hand through her violet bangs. "Well, that's over," she said in a deadpan. Duchess merely huffed and pirouetted into the center of the room, practicing her ballet positions. Her movements were more purposeful than usual, almost jerky, and Poppy assumed she was trying to work dance away her frustration. Poppy went to grab her bag, figuring it was best to leave her to it, but was stopped by a hand grabbing her wrist.

"Look, Sparrow, I'm _really_ not in the mood…"

"No, I'm not trying anything, I swear," Sparrow replied, quickly releasing her and putting his hands up in a gesture of submission. Poppy gave him a dubious look. "Really," he said. "Look, I know I've been obnoxious and all, but…I wanna say thanks."

Poppy blinked in confusion. "For…what?" she asked, her tone slightly suspicious. "I haven't actually done anything."

Sparrow looked over his shoulder at Duchess, who was still practicing her ballet, though Poppy caught the taller girl shooting a suspicious glance at the two of them. "Not for me, no, but…for her. She's been a lot…not really _nicer_ , but I think she's a lot happier now than she has been for a long time. I've known her since we were kids, you know, and even though we argue a lot and it doesn't seem like it, I really do care about her."

Poppy regarded him for a long moment. She didn't think he was lying, though it wasn't like Sparrow to be so forthcoming with anything other than obnoxious riffing and fart jokes. And though she knew it wasn't really his fault, she wasn't feeling too charitable toward him at the moment, seeing as how Duchess had spent the entirety of the practice being jealous that he was paying attention to Poppy. Still, it wasn't in Poppy's nature to be catty or underhanded, so she just shrugged off his thanks. "It's not like I've done anything," she repeated, though secretly she'd been wondering if Duchess was warming up to her.

 _Definitely not after tonight,_ a voice inside her head remarked unnecessarily.

Sparrow scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Look, I'm sorry I was being an ass, I just didn't want her to think I was acting any different or anything. I didn't want her to think—"

"What, that you cared?" Poppy asked, raising an eyebrow. Sparrow shrugged, and she rolled her eyes. "You two are seriously dysfunctional, you know that? Like, good luck in…whatever _that_ is," she gestured from Sparrow to Duchess, who had her back turned, "but yeah, I just don't see how that's gonna work."

So maybe she'd let just a tiny bit of bitterness sneak into her voice that time. It wasn't like Sparrow was going to pick up on it.

As it was, it took him a long moment to pick up on what she meant by what she actually said. When comprehension finally dawned in his eyes, however, it was accompanied by a disbelieving laugh. "Are you kidding me?" he asked. "Me and Duchess? Fuck no, that'd be a disaster, even if we liked each other."

"Seriously?" Poppy asked. She was starting to get annoyed again. Even with Duchess's temper flaring in increasing increments every time Sparrow had flirted with Poppy, he still didn't get it? "Are you fucking kidding me? You don't see it? Even after today?" She felt her temper flaring, her face growing warm. Holly had always been the more even-tempered of the two of them. Poppy could usually reign hers in, but the fact that he didn't even _know_ how Duchess felt about him, despite how obvious it was, and was clearly hurting her…

Sparrow gave her a weird look. "What are you talking about?"

"She's been practically murdering me with her eyes every time _you_ couldn't keep your hands to yourself!"

Sparrow rolled his eyes. "We don't _like_ each other, O'Hair. If it weren't for us having known each other so long, we wouldn't even talk to each other."

"Oh, my Grimm. You're an idiot." Poppy shook her head in disbelief. "You're _actually_ an idiot."

"What?" Sparrow snapped back, his eyes narrowing at the insult. " _You're_ the idiot!"

Poppy chanced a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure Duchess was still lost in her own little world of ballet. She was. Poppy then whipped back around to face Sparrow. "You say you've known her forever, but you can't even tell when she's pissed about something? Grimm, I thought you were acting like a skeezeball on _purpose_ just to piss her off, and you didn't even _realize_ she was mad?"

"If I wanted to piss her off, I wouldn't have been so subtle about it," Sparrow snapped back. "And don't act like you didn't like it!"

"I _didn't_!" Poppy argued, fighting to keep her voice low. The music was drowning out their argument, but if she raised her voice much higher, Duchess would definitely hear them. "You think I _like_ having your sweaty hands all over me? Having your sloppy lips on my ear?"

 _Reign it in, reign it in, it's not worth it._

"They are _not_ sloppy! Just ask any of the girls I've kissed! Ask Lizzie Hearts! Ask your _sister_!"

"You've kissed my _sister_?!" Poppy nearly shrieked. A mental image was already forming, despite her attempts to push it back. She would have to ask Holly about that later, but for now… "No wonder she's so into writing about girls now…"

It was the wrong thing to say. Sparrow's eyes flashed, and his arms reached out, his hands curling around her upper arms before she could jerk away.

Oh, Grimm, he was going to hit her. She'd really done it this time, but she hadn't thought Sparrow was that kind of guy. Then again, she hadn't really been thinking at all—she'd been so angry on Duchess's behalf, she hadn't even thought—

But he didn't hit her. Instead, he jerked her forward and crushed his lips against her own. Poppy's eyes went wide, and she went limp in his arms, more from shock than anything else. Slowly, she came back to her senses—comprehended the situation, Sparrow's chapped lips smashed against her own, his fingers digging into her arms—and was about to push him away, when—

"What the _hex_ is going on here?"

Both of them whirled around like deer caught in a set of headlights. Sparrow had instantly dropped Poppy's arms, which now dangled limply at her sides as she stared at Duchess, who looked about ready to spit acid. Her voice had raised several octaves beyond her normal range in her exclamation, and her eyes were flashing, hands curled into fists at her side. Poppy saw her defined jawline working furiously as her eyes flicked between the two of them. And those _eyes_ —they were flashing with anger, jealousy and something else, something that tore at Poppy's heart.

Betrayal.

Hurt.

Poppy realized, with a start, that, unlike during the practice when she'd just seemed angry and jealous, Duchess now looked like she was about to cry.

And then, with one furious look directed at Sparrow, it was gone. Duchess had transformed in a swirl of bluish light and feathers, and was out the open window before either had a chance to speak.

"Shit," said Sparrow to the empty classroom.

Poppy shot him a look, her mind working furiously as she tried to decide whether or not to slap him. Finally, she gave a loud, labored groan and yanked her bag up from the floor before dashing across the room and through the door. She had a very high-maintenance swan to track down.

* * *

Briar had cornered Faybelle after General Villainy let out, carefully making sure all the other students had exited before slipping soundlessly into the classroom behind them.

"I still don't see why you need _my_ help."

Briar rolled her eyes. "I don't know, don't you have some kind of fairy magic or something? Isn't there anything you could do?"

Faybelle scoffed, surveying her nails disinterestedly, the same as she'd been doing for the past several minutes. "Contrary to that sweet little fairytale the O'Hair brat spun has clearly led you to believe, BriBri, I don't have any 'magic fairy dust' that will solve all your problems. And even if I did, what the hex makes you think I'd use it to help _you_?" She glanced up at Briar, whose arms were now folded over her chest, caramel eyes narrowed in irritation. "Have you forgotten that I'm your fairytale villain? Something would have to be seriously fucking wrong with my brain for me to fuck up my own fairytale for your sake."

Briar felt her blood begin to boil. For whatever reason, it was only Faybelle who could provoke this strong an emotional reaction from her, especially in such a short amount of time. Then again, they had known each other since they were infants, even longer than Briar had known Apple. It made sense that Faybelle knew the exact location of all of Briar's 'berserk buttons', as Holly referred to them. But even though Briar knew this, she hated ( _hated_ ) feeling like Faybelle was just pulling strings and playing her emotions like a piano.

Briefly, she wondered if Duchess felt like this all the time, and felt a rare pang of empathy for the equally beautiful and beastly swan princess.

"Why are you making such a big deal of this all of a sudden?"

Briar eyed Faybelle suspiciously, but the Fae was looking at her blankly, without a trace of malice. She sighed. "I don't know, Faybelle, maybe because I don't want to fall asleep and wake up with everyone I love and care about dead?"

"Way to look at the bright side," Faybelle deadpanned. Briar glared at her and she held up her hands in mock surrender. "Whatever, it's your problem, not mine. Oh, except, wait, it is my problem. If you don't go to sleep, I don't get to be the evil fairy. So, yeah, not helping."

" _Ugh_!" Briar threw her hands up and raked them through her caramel locks in irritation. "Can't you think of anyone but yourself?"

"Hexcuse me, but why should I sacrifice my destiny so you can get out of yours?" Faybelle snapped back. "You're just as selfish as I am, princess. Do yourself a favor and own it." She held her hand in front of her face, fingers splayed, inspecting her nails. They were long, and done in a glittering silver-gray. "You know, I always thought we had a kind of grudging respect thing going on," she added. "We don't like each other, but we accept that we've got huge roles in each other's stories. I even saw you as my equal—until now, that is. What's happened to you that's got you coming begging to me to help you?"

Briar's teeth clenched, her jaw tightening. Across from her, Faybelle's eyebrows furrowed in thought, and then a cunning smirk split her features.

"Oh, I get it," she drawled. "It's O'Hair, isn't it? She wrote that stupid story about you and me, of all people, and now you've gone and got your hopes up." She made an exaggerated face. "Don't tell me you're about to say you're in love with me, too. I don't think my stomach could bear it."

Briar felt her face heating, but not from embarrassment. "Not if you were the last person on this planet," she growled. Faybelle cocked an eyebrow.

"Come on, BriBri, you and I both know I'm sexy."

Briar rolled her eyes. "I never said you weren't hot, Faybelle," she replied dryly. "It's when you open your mouth that kills it for me."

Faybelle's eyes narrowed dangerously and her lips curled into a sneer. "You're starting to sound like a princess who wants to face her destiny a little early, Briar," she snapped. "I'd watch that silver tongue of yours if I were you."

"Now who's flirting?" Briar replied, cocking an eyebrow. Faybelle very nearly growled. For as skilled as the fairy was at getting under Briar's skin, Briar gave as good as she got. Most of their interactions ended in stalemate rather than an outright victor.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," Faybelle hissed. "You seem a _wfully_ close to O'Hair recently. I'd _hate_ to stand in the way."

"Please, you'd love to," Briar replied, deadpan. "I don't have any feelings besides friendship for Holly, Faybelle. Try again."

Faybelle scoffed and rolled her eyes. "This is tedious, Briar. I've already told you I can't help you. You can leave now." She waved her hand dismissively in the direction of the door.

Briar narrowed her eyes, her arms folded over her chest as she looked at Faybelle for a long moment. Finally, she shook her head and sighed. "You're right," she said. "I don't know why I bothered coming to _you_ of all people." She turned on her heel and exited the room, her head held high despite it all.

Faybelle clenched her jaw. "Bitch," she muttered. How did Briar manage to maintain her pride and dignity in literally _every_ situation? Despite the fact that Faybelle had, for all intents and purposes, won their argument, Briar had managed to walk out leaving _Faybelle_ feeling like dirt! Hex it, it pissed her _off_! It wasn't _her_ problem if Princess Briar didn't like her destiny just because she'd have to wait a hundred years for her happily ever after. Where did she get off making Faybelle feel guilty over it?

 _If you feel guilty_ now _, how are you ever going to curse her?_

Faybelle bit the inside of her cheek, her mind involuntarily going back to the time when she, Briar and the other girls had been put under an enchanted slumber. Back to that dream, where she had caught Briar's wrist before she could touch the needle.

 _That dream…_

" _Fuck_!"

Soaring off of the desk she'd been occupying, she gave it a hard, violent kick, causing it to crash onto its side. Her chest heaved as she slowly regained control, pale hands clenching and unclenching as she levitated several inches above the laminate flooring.

 _Fuck_ Briar, being all wishy-washy over her destiny! _Fuck_ her for making Faybelle doubt her own because of it! Briar Beauty was just a stupid, selfish princess, just like the rest of them. If anything, she _deserved_ to sleep for a hundred years!

 _No, she doesn't._

"Yes, she _does_!" Faybelle snapped out loud, over the voice in the back of her head. Her hands flew up, grabbing her head, her nails digging into her scalp as she struggled with herself.

 _It doesn't matter if she does or doesn't._

"Right," Faybelle said, quietly, taking deep, calming breaths. It didn't matter if Briar did or didn't deserve her fate, because whatever she deserved, she was going to sleep for a hundred years anyway.

 _No_ , the voice argued.

 _It doesn't matter if she does or doesn't deserve it, because no matter what you say,_ **you** _don't really want her to leave, either._

* * *

 **Duchess is a jealous little shit, but we all love her anyway :P Seriously though, I had a hard time writing this chapter. I felt that Duchess would be very bad at hiding the fact that she was jealous and would be really obviously pissed off/bitchy, but then I felt that if she truly felt betrayed or hurt, she would run rather than let them see her like that.**

 **I tried to avoid making Sparrow a TOTAL ass. I don't care for his character but I also hate when people take characters and vilify them (aka Ron the Deatheater for those of you who read TvTropes) to OOC extents. I feel like I did okay with making him act kind of douchey but not making him into a** _ **total**_ **asshole. I mean, Poppy did her fair share of provoking to get him there. I hope you guys feel the same! I don't want to make anyone out of character here!**

 **The start for Briar/Faybelle just came to me. I needed to really get into at least one of their true feelings for each other, and I think I was able to. Please let me know what you think!**

 **Also: yes, Holly and Sparrow kissed. It was truth or dare. Holly never speaks of it.**

 **As always, please, please leave a review before leaving! They are so motivating and honestly, getting reviews just makes my day! Thank you guys all so much for being such awesome readers/reviewers!**


	12. Eleven: Exercises in Conflict Resolution

**Hey guys! I've got chapter eleven here for you!**

 **I want to thank everyone who reviewed once again-you guys are just awesome!**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Eleven: Exercises in Conflict Resolution  
**

* * *

"I don't know."

Madeline Hatter looked down at her emotionally distraught friend. Raven's head was currently resting in her lap, and the pale girl's hands were clapped over her face, muffling her words. "I'm sure there are a lot of things you don't know, considering how many things in the world there are to know!" she replied in her typical, somewhat nonsensical fashion. "What I would like to know is which one is causing you such distress!"

Raven was unable to suppress a chuckle in spite of herself. "Clearly I should have been more specific," she replied as her Wonderlandian best friend ran comforting fingers through her dark ebony and wine-colored hair, absently massaging her scalp as she did so. _Grimm_ , Maddie could do wonderful things with her fingers, she mused vaguely, and then flushed darkly at the accidental insinuation, glad her friend couldn't see her face beneath her hands. "I mean…I don't know what to do about Dexter and Apple."

" _Ooh_!" Maddie chirped, sounding altogether too enthusiastic for Raven's liking. "I see! So that's what's fogging up that silly brain of yours! The ultimate choice—the dashing prince with an inferiority complex or the perky princess with the flawed personality!"

Raven rolled her eyes beneath her hands before lowering them and sitting up. "I'm pretty sure that's not _exactly_ how it's usually phrased," she said dryly. "But essentially, yes."

"Hmm…" Maddie looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know, I just don't understand the two of you," she said suddenly in a matter-of-fact tone as if stating that the sky was blue.

Raven blinked. "What, the daughter of the Mad Hatter doesn't understand _me_?" she asked, her tone laced with disbelief. Then she let out a humorless laugh. "Wow, my life must be really messed up right now."

"Now don't be a sour Suzy!" Maddie chastised firmly with a somewhat less-than-effective glare. Raven raised an eyebrow. "That's not what I meant at all, and I think you know that." She removed her hat and poured herself a cup of tea before explaining herself, as she was wont to do at the most crucial of moments. Earl Grey leapt out from his makeshift home and poked at Raven's leg with a tiny paw. The brunette absently lowered a hand and he hopped onto the proffered surface, his tiny feet tickling her palm.

Once Maddie had taken a long sip of her tea, she lowered her teacup and turned back to Raven, fixing her with a somewhat unnerving stare. Maddie's wide teal eyes tended to have that effect, though, so, having been her friend for the better half of her life, Raven was fairly immune to its effects. "What I meant is that both you and Apple seem to be the curviest, windiest route possible to any kind of conclusion," she said. "If it were me, and something was separating me from one of the people I love dearly, I would want to get it out of the way as quickly as possible, even if doing so was hard." She took another sip of her tea, then added, in a sing-song voice, "After all, even the most beautiful flower will wilt, so the wise do not wait until a path is built."

For a long moment, Raven just stared at her best friend, processing Maddie's advice. "So…you're saying that if I wait too long, I'll lose Apple," she said, slowly. "I definitely don't want to lose Apple, but…I care about Dexter. He's…I mean…I mean, he's really…" she struggled for words, "He's a really nice guy," Raven finished lamely. "And I have no idea what I'm even _feeling_ for Apple."

"Are you sure that Apple is the _only_ one you don't know what you're feeling for?" Maddie interjected, fixing Raven with a meaningful look over her teacup. Raven sighed heavily. _That_ statement didn't need any decoding.

"What do you suggest I do, then?" she asked, watching as Earl Grey hopped back into Maddie's upturned hat.

Maddie gave a bubbly giggled in response, and tapped Raven on the nose. "Do what you do best, of course!" she replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She picked up her hat and replaced it carefully askew atop her crazy, cotton-candy curls. "Follow your heart!"

Raven smiled meekly at her mad best friend as Maddie hopped up and bounced out of the room, no doubt to meet up with the other Wonderlandians. When the door shut behind her, she gave a labored sigh and let her head fall back against the wall behind her. She stared at the ceiling for a long moment before her gaze fell onto her MirrorPhone on the night stand. Reluctantly, she picked it up and fired off a hext quickly, while she still had the nerve and before she could second-guess herself.

' _We need to talk.'_

* * *

 _If I were an emotional, pissed off swan, where would I be?_

Poppy could hear every footstep echoing through the halls as she took them at a run, skidding recklessly around corners and taking staircases two at a time. She couldn't believe she was running after the girl that she liked because that girl was upset because she thought that Poppy was trying to steal the boy that she liked. It sounded like something out of a 90's sitcom, or a cliché romcom. She groaned internally— _this_ was why she steered clear of romance of any sort.

But it was too late to change that now. Now all she could do was find Duchess, explain that there was no way in Ever After she and Sparrow were a 'thing', and hope Duchess believed her.

Dodging Headmaster Grimm, who yelled after her (something about not running in the halls and acting more like a damsel), Poppy cleared the entrance hall and broke into the cold outside air.

Poppy blinked. It was dark out—she'd forgotten how close it was to winter. With everything else going on, it hadn't seemed important. Panting slightly, she ran a hand through her violet bangs and placed the other hand on her hip.

She knew Duchess had flown outside. Assuming she was _still_ outside (and that was a big if), Poppy now had to figure out where on the castle's massive grounds she had gone off to.

 _Where would she go?_

The answer hit her like a mallet to the head. Where would Duchess _Swan_ , the daughter of _Odette_ , the _Swan Princess_ from _Swan Lake_ , go to when she was upset?

She found Duchess out on the middle of the large lake that bordered the school. For a long few minutes, Poppy didn't do anything but stare at Duchess. Maybe it would be more accurate to say she _couldn't_ , as she stood transfixed by the sight before her.

Duchess had resumed her human form, and was dancing across the water like it was a ballroom floor, her light footfalls leaving only the smallest of ripples in their wake. Every movement appeared both effortless and painstakingly perfected, fluid and rehearsed all at once.

And Duchess, herself…Poppy almost looked away, but found that she lacked the willpower to do so. It was like seeing something so incredibly beautiful that you felt like you shouldn't look it, but then when you finally do, you can't ever stop.

Poppy had never denied that Duchess was attractive (not that she'd ever affirmed it either)—to do so would be to lie outright. She wasn't pretty the way Apple or Ashlynn were, but she had a lovely face, her features mostly sharp, but soft in just the right places. She was tall—possibly the tallest girl in their year—and wore it flawlessly, like a model without the vapid, shallow beauty. She was slender without being thin, and her curves, all in just the right places, made her body seem to go on for miles.

Duchess was her own brand of beautiful and, Poppy realized as she stood, paralyzed by the scene before her, she was absolutely _radiant_ at night, by the light of the moon.

"If you're not going to leave, at least stop _staring_."

Poppy blinked. Her mind had been going foggy from the intense loveliness of the scene she'd been looking in on, and the sudden jerk back to the present made her feel slightly jet-lagged. Then, as the world came into sharp focus, she let out an involuntary yelp and started at the appearance of the object of her attention mere feet away from her, looking down at her with an annoyed (and more than a little bit accusatory) glare.

"Duchess!"

"Nice to see you still have at least _some_ of your mental faculties," Duchess drawled, rolling her eyes. "Though clearly not _enough_ , since you seem find Sparrow quite attractive." There was a harsh bite to her voice that wasn't quite hidden enough to be considered 'underlying', and Poppy felt her insides metaphorically shriveling beneath those hard eyes that, just now, reminded her strongly of cold, polished oak.

Gathering her resolve, Poppy forced herself to meet Duchess's accusatory stare head-on. "I'm not attracted to Sparrow," she replied firmly.

Duchess scoffed and let out a humorless laugh. She turned her back on Poppy and danced away, just far enough that Poppy couldn't reach her.

Poppy rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated groan. " _Seriously_?" she yelled in Duchess's direction. "Are you _really_ going to be like this?"

Duchess didn't reply.

"Oh, my Grimm." Poppy ran a hand roughly through her violet bangs. "Look, I'm sorry you got jealous because Sparrow was perving out on me instead of you!" she snapped. "I swear I'm not trying to get in the way of whatever fucked up relationship the two of you have!"

Duchess stopped short. Then she turned back around and within an instant she was back in Poppy's face. "How _dare_ you?!" she shrieked. Poppy winced from the volume, but stubbornly maintained eye contact, though she had to crane her neck slightly given Duchess's height and proximity. "I would _never_ so much as _look_ at Sparrow Hood like…like _that_! That is absolutely _disgusting_!" Her eyes were flashing with barely contained rage and indignation.

Poppy blinked, now thoroughly bemused. "What?" she asked. "No way. If you don't like Sparrow, what the fuck were you so jealous about back there?"

Duchess's jaw snapped shut with an audible click, and she inhaled sharply, her face growing hot. "I was _not_ —"

"Oh, please, Duchess. For five seconds why don't we pretend I wasn't born yesterday," Poppy cut her off dryly. "Don't even _try_ to deny it. You were stomping around like a five-year-old whose favorite toy got taken."

It was hard to tell in the dark of the night, but Duchess's cheeks appeared to be burning brighter. The ballerina brought her arms up to curl tightly below her chest, and averted her eyes to something somewhere off to Poppy's right. If Poppy didn't know any better, she'd swear that the brunette's lower lip was slightly protruding.

"Are you seriously _pouting_ right now?!" Poppy asked, disbelief lacing her tone. "Grimm, Duchess, what is going _on_? You fucking _flew out of the room_ when you saw Sparrow and me kissing—which, by the way, was _not_ my idea, so you can cut the fucking attitude—and now you're trying to tell me you have no feelings for him? I did not go through this bullshit for you to refuse to talk to me, Duchess! What the _actual_ fuck is going on?"

"I wasn't jealous of _you_!" Duchess finally shrieked, whipping her head back up, her eyes burning into Poppy's. There was an intense fire there, one that both terrified Poppy and made her feel higher than a kite all at once. It was the fire she'd only ever seen when Duchess was hatching a plan or talking about stealing some princess's destiny—when she was pursuing something with everything she had.

Duchess immediately took a step back, eyes wide, like she hadn't meant to say that, or, rather, that the words themselves had surprised her. She mouthed for a moment, looking like she was about to take it back, and then snapped her jaw shut again, her lips pursed and her eyes once again averted, arms tightening around her diaphragm.

Poppy stood there, gaping like a fish for a long moment. A long, deafening silence filled the cool air between them while she blinked dumbly at Duchess, who in turn glared at the ground to Poppy's right like it had personally offended her.

"You…weren't?"

Duchess scoffed, like she was intent on acting like her usual bitchy self despite the words that had just exploded from her. "Of course not," she spat. "I told you, he's disgusting."

"Yeah, I could tell from how he spent pretty much the entire practice with his hands on my ass," Poppy replied, deadpan.

She was mildly shocked to see Duchess's hands clench into fists at this statement, her knuckles going white against her ribs. What was even more surprising was the way Poppy's heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her chest at this seemingly knee-jerk reaction from the ballerina.

"You weren't exactly pushing him away when he tried to swallow your face," Duchess snapped, sharply. But after a month of near daily dance practicing, Poppy was beginning to see past Duchess's spiky exterior. From what she had observed, the more upset Duchess was, the nastier she became.

"Only because I had, like, zero warning when he did it," she replied, refusing to rise to the bait. "I was about to push him away when you went all Swan Lake on us."

Duchess grumbled something under her breath.

"So…" Poppy began, stretching out the vowel in an overly casual way, "if you weren't jealous of me, then…what _was_ going on back there?"

This time, Duchess did look up at her, her face still visibly flushed despite the growing darkness. She gave Poppy a long-suffering kind of look. "Don't make me say it," she replied, her voice significantly weaker than it had been a moment ago.

"Say what?" Poppy asked, deliberately playing dumb. Duchess's eyes narrowed as she surveyed Poppy, from her overly innocent eyes to her lips, which were twitching just slightly as Poppy fought to bite back a shit-eating grin.

"You're walking on thin ice, O'Hair," she said, warningly. But her eyes held no real malice, and Poppy decided she could push a little further.

"I seriously don't know what you're talking about," Poppy replied in her most innocent voice (modeled after Holly). She was almost positive she knew what was going on now, and half of her wanted to just put Duchess out of her misery already, but the other, significantly pettier half of her wanted desperately to hear her say the words.

Duchess gave a loud, exasperated sigh. "Grimm, and here I was thinking you couldn't _possibly_ be as stupid as you look," she muttered. This, Poppy might have taken offense to, were it not said in what could almost be mistaken for a tone of fondness.

As it was, she merely raised her eyebrows, wordlessly encouraging Duchess to continue. The ballerina gave an exaggerated groan, tossing her head back toward the moon, and despite the obviously melodramatic behavior, Poppy couldn't help but ogle the slight contours of her long, smooth neck as she did so. Then Duchess dropped her head back down and it was Poppy's turn to blush as she quickly averted her gaze.

"I wasn't jealous of _you_ ," Duchess repeated for what felt like the tenth time, unfolding her arms so that she could run her fingers nervously through the dark, white-and-pink highlighted locks that fell over her right shoulder. "I was…jealous of Sparrow." She had barely mumbled the last sentence, but for all the difference it made in the silence, she may as well have yelled.

There was another pregnant pause. For as much as Poppy had goaded her into saying it, part of her had never expected Duchess to actually admit it, and another part of her had been positive that she was just completely misreading the situation.

"Why?" she asked dumbly.

Duchess's jaw clenched, and for a second Poppy was sure she was going to snap at her again. "Because he kept _touching_ you," she ground out. "With his _filthy_ , grabby hands…and you weren't _stopping_ him. And you're—I…" Duchess broke off, knuckles so white that Poppy knew there would be little crescent shaped cuts on her palms if she were to look.

"You…what?" Poppy asked cloyingly, her voice softer now.

"Ugh!" Duchess half-growled, half screamed in frustration. "You can't _possibly_ be _this_ thick!"

Poppy raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you don't even have a good reason for being upset over Sparrow and I being close, then maybe I should reconsider what I said about not wanting anything to do with him…"

For the second time that day, Poppy found herself being grabbed and forcibly yanked forward. And while Duchess was far more likely to attempt to hit someone than Sparrow was, Poppy felt no fear as Duchess glared down at her, eyes flashing and pupils blown.

But then Duchess did something that Sparrow hadn't—she hesitated. And in that instant, Poppy was able to read her like a book—she saw through all the bluster and anger and bitterness to a girl who was terrified and lost and completely out of her depth. And, in that moment, Poppy decided that she had pushed Duchess enough.

Kissing Duchess Swan was by far the most incredible, extra ordinary thing Poppy had ever experienced. Kissing Duchess was hot and cold, rough and achingly tender. The instant Poppy closed the distance, Duchess snatched the control right out from under her, commandeering her lips with such force that Poppy nearly toppled over backwards. Her arms locked instinctively around Duchess's neck to steady herself, and instantly Poppy felt a pair of arms wind so tightly around her waist that any remaining air in her lungs was forced out.

"Mm…Duchess…hang on," Poppy panted out when she felt herself start to get light-headed from lack of oxygen. She tried to pull away only for Duchess to tighten her grip possessively. "I need…to breathe…" She managed to break away from those dark, hungry lips long enough to gasp for air—a sound which quickly turned into a hybrid yelp and gasp as Duchess began to attack her neck. "Oh, Grimm, Duchess!" Poppy hissed. This seemed to be a trigger for Duchess, who bit down, causing Poppy to let out an embarrassingly high-pitched squeal. " _Grimm_!" she gasped, holding onto Duchess for dear life as her legs turned to jelly beneath her. She felt Duchess smirk into the sensitive skin of her neck, and she could only imagine how infuriatingly smug Duchess was going to be afterwards. But if things kept going at this rate…

"Hold on," Poppy panted, her forehead now resting heavily on Duchess's shoulder. The brunette made a noise of dissent against her neck, and Poppy felt her resolve shake. "Come on, Duchess, stop for a minute." Gently, she pushed against Duchess's collarbone, blushing furiously when her hand accidentally brushed the taller girl's generous chest. "Please."

Slowly, Duchess pulled away, though she didn't release Poppy. "What?" she asked, her voice just a touch smoky. Her pupils were blown, and Poppy was fairly certain it wasn't just the darkness around them. Beneath the obvious arousal, however, Duchess's features were remarkably unguarded, belying a painful amount of insecurity and worry. Poppy felt her heart clench in her chest at the sight of the usually confident, guarded Duchess looking so defenseless, like a puppy who was afraid it had done something wrong.

"We're kind of getting ahead of ourselves, don't you think?" Poppy replied, her own voice slightly lower than usual. She hoped she was making it clear that she hadn't stopped Duchess for lack of enjoyment. She was already missing the feel of Duchess's lips, of Duchess's curves pressed firmly against her body…

To her horror, Duchess's gaze hardened, and Poppy watched as the spiky shell began to fall back into place right before her eyes. The arms that were loosely wound around her waist dropped, and Poppy suddenly felt very cold in the night air. "I get it," Duchess said, her tone icy. "You're fine with Sparrow trying to swallow your face, but you can't bear to kiss me for five seconds."

"Okay, no, we are _not_ going to do this!" Poppy snapped. "I already told you I don't know how many times that I don't like Sparrow!"

"Oh, _really_?" Duchess replied, her tone waspish and sarcastic. "Then all that about reconsidering Sparrow was just a lie, right?"

" _Yes_!" Poppy yelled, throwing out her arms in frustration. "I wouldn't touch that sleazeball with a ten-foot-pole! I only said that to get you to admit you were jealous!"

"Well I _am_!" Duchess all but shrieked. "Are you happy now? I can't _stand_ the thought of his filthy hands anywhere _near_ you! I don't want anyone else to touch you like that! It makes me _sick_ to think of you with anybody but me!" She was panting from her outburst, looking very close to tears again. "I don't want you to want anybody else!"

Poppy didn't know _what_ to say. She'd been needling for a confession, but seeing Duchess like this, insecure and distraught, tugged painfully at her heart. In trying to protect her own heart and feelings, Poppy had unintentionally drawn Duchess's Achilles heel right to the surface. As much as it thrilled her that Duchess had gotten so jealous over her, Poppy had never wanted to hurt her.

In the heat of the moment, in the fog caused by her own insecurities, Poppy had forgotten what Duchess hid so well—that behind the confident, bossy, outgoing persona, Duchess was a lonely girl who was jealous and possessive because the things she cared for were always taken away. Contrary to the persona she donned around the majority of the school, rather than being a spiteful, unfeeling bitch, Duchess was really a girl who cared far too much, and loved far too deeply for her own good, and was only trying to protect herself.

"I don't," she finally said. "I don't want anybody else. I'm sorry I pushed you. I just…I guess I was afraid you didn't feel the same way. I wanted to be sure." Poppy rubbed her arm nervously. She wasn't used to talking about her feelings so openly—or at all, really. "I've never really been in this situation before," she admitted, her eyes on the ground. "I tend to avoid...you know… _feelings_ and stuff. But I kind of started liking you before I realized it and I guess I didn't really know what to do with that." The words spilled out of her mouth rapidly, as if she were afraid that if she paused, she wouldn't be able to finish.

A long silence followed.

Then, quite suddenly, Poppy felt a pair of arms slip around her waist, incredibly warm in comparison to the increasingly chilly night air.

"Thank you," Duchess whispered into her hair, her arms tightening around Poppy as Poppy returned the hug.

Poppy frowned in confusion against Duchess's shoulder. "For what?" she asked. She hadn't known what Duchess's reaction to her little speech would be, but she _had_ been expecting at least _some_ squawking.

But Duchess didn't answer her. Instead, Poppy felt one of the surprisingly strong arms leave her waist, and a second later, felt warm fingers gently but insistently guiding her chin upwards. Allowing her head to be raised, Poppy found Duchess's face mere centimeters from her own, dark eyes looking at her like she was an ever after. She could feel Duchess's warm breath ghosting against her lips, and a second later, Duchess's lips followed, pressing against Poppy's as the hand beneath her chin slid back to cup the back of her head. This kiss was nothing like the first—instead of frenzied and possessive, it was slow and purposeful.

This kiss felt like a promise.

Duchess pressed closer, slowly but purposefully deepening the kiss, and Poppy's lips parted in response, and then Duchess was _inside_ her. In an instant, Poppy felt so full, so complete that she wondered how the hex she hadn't realized how incredibly empty she'd been before.

After a long moment, Duchess pulled back, but only enough so that she could speak—Poppy could still feel her lips against her skin. "Are you sure about this?" she asked lowly. "I'm only going to ask once, and so you know, I don't share." Her arms tightened just a touch around Poppy.

"Really?" Poppy replied, her voice equally low, but tinged with a trace of playfulness. "I couldn't tell." She grinned when Duchess gave a fairly impressive eye roll in response. "Yes, I'm sure," she said, more seriously. "Duchess, trust me—I know what I'm getting into."

"Do you?" Duchess asked, and Poppy heard more than saw the insecurity this time, though the ballerina was making a valiant attempt at keeping her voice level. "I can be pretty high-maintenance…or so I've been told." She huffed, and Poppy buried her face in Duchess's shoulder to hide her amused grin. "I'm not exactly the nicest girl in the world, and I can be very territorial."

"Yeah, I got that, too," Poppy replied. Duchess glared and rolled her shoulder, unseating Poppy, and she drew back her arms, folding them over her chest in annoyance. Poppy rolled her eyes. "Grimm, Duchess, I get it, okay? Quit worrying—I don't need the warning label. I like you for who you are, okay? Flaws and all. I kinda hoped that'd be obvious seeing as how I put up with you bossing me around at those stupid practices for a whole month."

In response, Duchess grabbed her face and pulled her into a searing kiss.

* * *

It was well past ten when Poppy made her way back to the dorms. Holly shot Poppy a smug, knowing look that should have been infuriating when Poppy entered their room, no doubt looking like someone had been throwing rocks at her neck all night.

As it was, Poppy just couldn't bring herself to care.

* * *

 **That's chapter eleven! Thank you all again for leaving me such awesome reviews! You guys are seriously the best! This one was a bit tough for me to write, but I knew I needed to get moving on Rapple. I would have added more this chapter, but I felt I needed to focus on Poppy and Duchess, for more reasons than one, which will hopefully become apparent soon!**

 **Next chapter we'll have some progress on the Apple/Raven/Dexter front, and probably some other stuff that I'll figure out as I go, lol.**

 **Please continue to leave reviews guys, I can't tell you enough how essential they are in keeping me motivated! I know that authors 'write for themselves' or whatever, but hearing that what we write is enjoyed by others is a huge part of the experience for fanfiction writers! You guys have been amazing so far, and I really hope that my fanfic continues to live up to your expectations!**


	13. Twelve: Hesitance and Hedges

**Here's chapter twelve! As usual, a huge thanks to everyone who took the time to review last time!**

 **This chapter isn't super enlightening or climactic or anything, but I hope you guys enjoy it and review all the same!**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Twelve: Hesitance and Hedges**

* * *

"Raven? What's wrong?"

Raven looked up, her resolve instantly shaking when she saw the concern written plainly in Apple's sky-blue eyes. Grimm, whatever she felt for her, she couldn't deny that Apple White was just…something else. In spite of everything, in spite of the awkwardness and avoidance and blurred lines, Apple had responded to her hext in seconds, and had burst into Maddie's room only a few minutes later, when Raven had asked her to meet her. For as naïve and selfish as Apple could be, Raven didn't think she'd ever met a more genuinely kind person.

"Nothing's wrong, Apple," Raven replied with a reassuring smile, wanting to put Apple at ease. The blonde visibly relaxed, though now she looked slightly nervous, and a fog of awkwardness descended upon the room.

"So…you wanted to talk to me?" Apple asked hesitantly, hovering just inside the doorway as if she wasn't sure she was allowed any further.

"Yeah," Raven replied, wincing inside at how cautious her usually blunt and bouncy roommate was behaving. It was like she expected Raven to yell at her, or kick her, or something along those same lines. She took a deep breath. "I need to talk to you about…well, about…" Raven blushed furiously. She had never been particularly good with her words, especially compared to Apple, who was incredibly well-spoken.

Apple giggled, and while Raven was slightly put out that it was at her expense, she was far more grateful to see Apple smiling again.

"About the kiss, right?" Apple's tone wasn't entirely confident, but her voice was steady.

"Um…yeah, about the kiss," Raven affirmed. "Listen, Apple, I'm sorry—"

In an instant, a bizarre change came over Apple. Her posture straightened as if someone had replaced her spine with a metal rod, and the nervous, but genuine smile was replaced by an over-bright grin that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Oh, don't apologize, Raven!" she interrupted, her tone far too cheerful. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I never should have done that. Of course you don't feel the same, I understand completely, and I swear I'll never mention it or act on my feelings again, so please don't hate me, Raven."

Apple's voice had cracked audibly toward the end of her speech, a jarring contrast to her Stepford smile.

Raven blinked, and had to do a double take. "What?" she asked, completely nonplussed. "What are you talking about? You don't need to apologize! And I…I'm glad you…you kissed me." She felt her face burning, but forced herself to continue, staring into Apple's shocked and red-tinged eyes. "And I could never hate you, Apple. That's not why I wanted to talk to you at all."

"R-really?"

Apple sounded so small, so unlike her usual confident self, that Raven actually stood up and walked over to her. Reaching out, she took Apple's soft, plump hands in her own and stared down at her until wide blue eyes met her gaze. "Of course," Raven said softly. "Apple, you should never have to apologize for something you feel. And besides…" Her blush darkened, "It's not that I necessarily don't feel the same…or anything…" She was mumbling now, and found herself suddenly unable to hold Apple's wide-eyed gaze.

"Raven? What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Raven let out an exhausted sigh and let go of Apple's hands in favor of massaging her temples. "I mean, I don't _know_. I swear I'm not trying to string you along or hurt you—that's the _last_ thing I would ever want to do. But…Dexter and I…"

Apple's gaze dropped. "Right," she said, quietly. "Dexter."

"Apple, no." Raven grabbed her wrist, taking her by surprise. "Listen, it's just that…it's hard to explain. At least sit down, okay?" She led Apple back to Maddie's bed and sat herself cross-legged at the head. After a moment's hesitation, Apple sat herself directly across from Raven in the same position. "I don't know what I'm feeling for Dexter, either. I mean, he's really nice, and he's a sweet guy, and I like hanging out with him—"

"Okay, yeah, we get it, Dexter's great," Apple remarked under her breath, a trace of almost alien bitterness lacing her words.

"Come on, Apple, will you just let me finish?" Raven asked, a touch of irritation coloring her tone. Apple huffed and folded her arms over her chest. _Great_ , Raven thought. _Now she's pouting_. She sighed, trying to ignore how cute Apple looked with her arms crossed and plump, cherry-red lower lip protruding. "Dexter is my _boyfriend_ , okay? You know that and you knew it when you kissed me."

Apple huffed, but didn't have anything to say to this.

"What I'm trying to say is that I like Dexter, but I don't know in what way anymore. He's a great guy, but when you kissed me…" Apple was at full attention now, all traces of pout gone from her lips. Raven sighed, massaging her temples. "I don't know how to describe it, but when you kissed me, it just…it was _incredible_ , Apple. I felt things that Dexter has _never_ made me feel."

There was a pause as Raven seemed to struggle for words and Apple watched her, making a physical effort to be patient.

"But this is all so _new_ ," Raven finally managed, standing up and running her hands through her hair as she began to pace, Apple's blue eyes following her. "I had literally _no_ idea you felt that way about me—"

"Feel," Apple said.

Raven paused in her pacing, giving Apple a confused look. "What?"

"I _feel_ that way about you," Apple said, her voice a little quiet, but strong as ever. Her gaze had shifted back to her lap, and Raven could tell it was hard for her to say it. "As in, present tense."

"Oh." Raven blinked. She hadn't assumed Apple's feelings had changed—it had been an honest slip of the tongue on her part. What did surprise her was that Apple had bothered to point it out. Something inside of her chest had caught when Apple had spoken up over such a small point, and for a moment, she couldn't look away from the blonde sitting cross-legged on her bed.

Apple really was beautiful…

Then Raven shook her head and began to pace even more purposefully than before. She had to stay focused. "Okay…um, well, anyway, I had no idea about your feelings," she managed, struggling to regain her train of thought. "And I had never even considered…you know… _us_. I'd never even considered another girl before now."

"But now you are?" Apple asked, raising her eyes to meet Raven's. "Considering it?" There was a trace of hopefulness in her voice now, one that made Raven momentarily waver in her determination.

"Well—I mean, yes, after that kiss, it'd be impossible not to," Raven said, then, quickly, before Apple's eyes brightened any further, "but I'm not saying anything for sure yet. I just can't right now. For one, there's the fact that I have no idea what I'm actually feeling. And then there's Dexter. I can't just throw him away."

At her last sentence, Apple mumbled something under her breath that Raven chose not to comment on. Still, she found it hard to ignore the swell of fondness that was growing in her chest. She'd always enjoyed being around Apple (maybe not so much when Apple was dead-set on Raven signing the book), and now it felt like every little thing the future Snow White did made Raven _feel_ something new. Raven wasn't sure how long her willpower would hold out—she wanted to do the right thing, but Apple's lips were looking incredibly kissable right about now…

"But I can't ignore the fact that something has…changed between us, either," she continued quickly, trying desperately to tune out her less noble thoughts. "I…I don't want to lose you, Apple."

"You won't!"

Raven blinked. Apple had leapt up at that, the admission seemingly sparking a little bit off her old fire back into life. Apple reached forward and took both of Raven's hands in her own, squeezing tightly. "Of course you won't lose me, Raven," she said emphatically. "Never."

Raven felt herself begin to melt at the honesty in those big blue eyes, and forced a small smile onto her face. "Thanks, Apple," she said, her voice slightly rough with emotion. "But I don't want to hurt you either. You or Dexter." Apple's nose wrinkled and Raven could have sworn she caught just the tiniest eye roll, but she again chose to ignore this. "You both deserve better than me stringing you along, not knowing what I want."

"So…what are you saying, Raven?" Apple asked, brows furrowed in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand where you're going with this."

"I'm saying...give me some time," Raven said, with a small sigh. "Just a little time to figure things out, without us avoiding each other or being weird with each other. Just give me some time with us being normal again, so I can get a handle on whatever I'm feeling. I won't date Dexter, either. I'm going to tell him the same thing. I just…me not knowing what I feel isn't fair for either of you, and I love both of you too much to ever want to hurt you. I just…I don't know in what way, and that's what makes it so confusing."

"I…" Apple struggled for a moment, as if it were costing her a lot to say her next words, "I don't want you to ruin your relationship over this…"

Raven rolled her eyes, but in a playful way. "Please, like you care what happens with Dexter. I saw that eyeroll a while back."

Apple flushed slightly, but didn't deny anything. "Well, I _do_ care about _you_ , Raven Queen," she said, and Raven felt a metaphorical weight drop from her chest when she heard Apple's voice grow in strength. "And I don't want you to be unhappy…even if it means that I have to put up with Dexter Charming's clumsy romancing of you. But—" She squeezed Raven's hands, and Raven looked down into blue eyes that were more determined than she'd ever seen them, "don't think I'm going to sit back and do nothing, either. As long as I have a chance, I'm going to do everything I can to win your heart, Raven Queen."

Raven felt her face grow hot beneath Apple's steady eyes. "Uh…well, yeah, that's fine I guess," she stammered out, not knowing what else to say. "I mean, you don't have to do anything, I just need some time…"

"I know I don't have to," Apple replied with a gentle smile. She released one of Raven's hands and lifted her newly free hand up to tuck a strand of ebony hair behind Raven's ear. "But I want to. You're special, Raven Queen."

Raven felt her face burn up like a sauna. At a loss for anything else to say, she said, "When did you get so charming?" She accompanied the statement with a nervous laugh as Apple grinned up at her winningly.

Apple just giggled and shrugged, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she brushed past Raven on her way to the door. "I guess some of it rubs off on you when you spend your whole life being charmed," she said with an adorable, dimpled smile.

* * *

The conversation with Dexter went down just about as well as Raven could have expected. He was hurt, and a little upset when Raven suggested taking a break, but admitted that he'd suspected something like this might have been happening given the girls' strange behavior toward each other.

"Plus, Apple's never struck me as being particularly straight," he added in a valiant attempt at humor, scratching the back of his head bashfully. "She's never wanted anything to do with Daring romantically, even when we were younger. Every time he'd try to start something, she'd find something fascinating in the next room or something. And…well, it's not like I haven't noticed that she's not my biggest fan."

Raven frowned. "I hadn't noticed anything," she said. "She never seemed to dislike you."

Dexter gave a short laugh. "Well, she always acts really happy for you," he admitted, "but ever since you and I started dating she's been cooler to me than usual. We used to be pretty good friends when we were younger, since we were around each other all the time. Now she either avoids me or doesn't talk to me for longer than a few seconds at a time." He sighed and affected a brave half-smile. "Not that I can blame her now I know why. You're pretty special, Raven."

* * *

"Something's changed."

"Um…well, I guess that might be, but…remind me again why we're doing this?"

Blondie blinked and turned her gaze to her BFFA, who was busy picking leaves out of her candy-pink hair. For a moment, she lost herself in the sight before her—Cupid, entirely preoccupied with untangling the foliage from her hair, her brows furrowed in adorable frustration (Cupid never managed to look truly angry)—before she shook herself back to the present. News first, everything else (including unrequited love for the goddess of love who just happened to also be her best friend and roommate) second, she scolded herself.

"Because we're the _media_ ," Blondie replied emphatically. She giggled when Cupid straightened up and brushed off her pink and white dress, and reached over to pluck a large, conspicuous leaf out of curly pink locks. Cupid responded with a small pout, which only intensified Blondie's giggles. When she finally managed to compose herself, she recaptured her serious tone. "We have to be on top of these things. How else will the student population keep informed?"

"That's nice and all," Cupid replied, struggling to keep up with Blondie, who was already powering forward again, "but is all _this_ really necessary?" She gestured to the tall hedges that surrounded them. Tall as the hedges were, the two girls still had to stoop to make their way through the underbrush surrounding them on all sides. "Oh, Blondie, your dress is torn!"

The blonde glanced back and spotted the small rip that Cupid was referring to, which was thankfully only on the outermost layer of her dress, and merely shrugged. "A small price to pay for knowledge," she replied, voice muffled by foliage, and Cupid rolled her eyes in a mixture of exasperation and fondness for her BFFA.

When Blondie had come to her an hour earlier, practically bouncing on her heels in excitement and claiming that she had proof that Holly O'Hair's stories were magical, Cupid had gone along with it because that's what BFFAs did. She did _not_ know that Blondie's plan to prove this theory would include sneaking out of the dorms at twilight and a brief excursion _through_ Baba Yaga's prized hedges. Still, she had gone along with Blondie, mainly because Blondie just seemed so _excited_ and Cupid just loved seeing this side of her roommate. Especially since Blondie had been acting, in Cupid's humble opinion, just a little… _off_ , recently.

Still, she thought, sniffling discretely and pressing the back of her free hand (Blondie had the other, and was tugging Cupid along after her) firmly beneath her nose, she would have preferred a plan that involved a little less pollen. Unfortunately for her, there was virtually no part of Cupid's body that was not covered in pollen at this point, and pressing her hand to her nose had only made matters worse. Her eyes began to water, and her features contorted as she came to a sudden halt, causing Blondie to stumble in front of her.

"Cupid? Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"A..allergies…" Cupid managed to choke out before sneezing violently into her free wrist and subsequently sinking into a bout of coughing.

Blondie's eyes widened as she realized what was happening. "Oh, Cupid, I'm so sorry!" she said, sounding positively miserable. "I completely forgot! Here, I think I have some tissues or something…"

Cupid shook her head and pulled her inhaler from her purse. She took a long hit off it and sighed in relief. "I'm fine," she finally said with a smile at Blondie, who looked on the verge of tears. "Really! But…maybe there's a better way to go about this?"

Blondie's eyes darted around their surroundings for a moment before seeming to deflate. "I guess I did get a little carried away," she admitted. Cupid smiled sweetly at her BFFA and tugged at her wrist, ducking out from under the hedges and taking Blondie with her.

"Here," Cupid said, sitting down on a stone bench and patting the spot next to her for Blondie to take. "Now, why don't you tell me what all of this is about?"

Blondie blew a puff of air, causing her bangs to flutter slightly as she plopped down next to Cupid. "Okay," she said. "So, last night, when I was on my way back from shopping in town, I saw Poppy and Duchess right outside of the dorms together."

Cupid nodded slowly, eyebrows still furrowed slightly in confusion. "Okay…," she said, meeting Blondie's eyes with her own, wordlessly encouraging her to continue.

"Well, I just thought it was a little weird, you know?" Blondie continued. "I mean, they're always sniping at each other when they see each other in the halls or whatever, and Holly says Poppy is always grumbling about Duchess. But it seemed really…intimate, you know? Like I was intruding on something." She glanced around, as if to make sure nobody else had military-crawled through the hedges and was intruding upon Baba Yaga's private gardens, before continuing in a conspiratorial whisper, "It was really dark, so I couldn't tell exactly what was going on, but they were standing _really_ close and they _definitely_ weren't arguing." She raised her eyebrows and stared meaningfully at Cupid.

The young goddess of love surveyed her friend for a moment, then giggled and turned away, looking out over the garden. She sensed Blondie frowning next to her. "I don't doubt that's what you saw," she said, leaning forward and turning her head so that she was looking up at Blondie. When she did, Blondie's pale cheeks turned slightly pink, which confused Cupid, but not enough to dwell on it. "But don't you think it might be just a _touch_ better to let them figure it out themselves?"

Blondie let out an exasperated sigh. " _Cupiiiid_ ," she moaned, tilting her head back toward the sky in frustration, "how can you sit there and tell me to just let it play out? You're a reporter just like I am!" Cupid raised an eyebrow. "Well, kind of, anyway. But you're _Cupid_! Literally! Don't you _want_ them to be together?"

Cupid's lips curled into a slight, fond smile at her friend's impatience. This was where she and Blondie tended to differ. She knew Blondie meant well, but sometimes the girl just got so incredibly enthusiastic that she didn't pause to think out the possible consequences. Whereas Cupid, as a burgeoning goddess of love…well, she knew that pushing things into the light before they were ready wasn't always the _best_ thing for a newly minted relationship.

"Blondie…"

Cupid leaned over, resting her hand on her roommate's thigh and squeezing affectionately. If she hadn't been watching, she may have missed the way Blondie's eyes dilated and her eyes almost instinctively flickered away from Cupid, to some random rosebushes. Unfortunately for the girl in question, when one is in the business of love, one tends to pick up on even the slightest of changes.

Cupid blinked blankly.

That was…odd. She might not have been surprised by (or even expected) such a reaction from someone like Raven or Cerise, both of whom were more introverted, but from Blondie? Not only was Blondie far more extroverted, but her affinity for touch and affection rivaled even Cupid's, and their friendship had always been a tactile one as well as verbal.

But Cupid didn't mention these subtle changes, instead pushing down her compassionate and protective instincts that were screaming for her to question Blondie in favor of continuing their conversation. Not to mention that something at the back of her mind was nagging at her, telling her it wasn't the time, not now.

"Blondie, I think you should at least talk to them first, don't you?" she asked, her tone gentle but firm. "I mean, even putting aside the fact that Poppy generally prefers to stay out of the spotlight, what do you think would happen if you reported something on Duchess that she wasn't ready to have exposed?" Cupid didn't like to think about the possibility of Blondie showing up in their shared room one day after school in crutches. Her hand tightened subconsciously around Blondie's thigh, causing the ruffled, Alice-blue dress Blondie was wearing to crinkle in protest. Beneath her hand, Blondie fidgeted slightly. "Aside from wanting to give them time to come forward on their own, I don't want to see you hurt, Blondie."

Beside her, Blondie swallowed hard. Grimm, Cupid was making this difficult. It took a fair amount of effort to paste the carefree smile on this time, not to mention getting the temperature in her face to return to normal. "Don't be silly, Cupid!" she replied, leaning back and shooting Cupid a wide smile that felt foreign on her face from being forced. "Nothing would happen to me! I'm sure even Duchess wouldn't resort to violence!"

Cupid wasn't so sure, and it showed in the worried crease of her eyebrows. "Well, even putting that aside…," she continued, brushing that worrisome detail aside, "don't you think you should give them a little time to figure things out for themselves? I mean…" She tried to think like Blondie. "What will it look like if you report about them being together and they argue and break up over it?" This seemed to cause Blondie some hesitation—Duchess was certainly the type—and Cupid ran with it. "Wouldn't it be better to wait a bit, at least until they've had some more time to sort things out?"

Blondie let out a long, chest-heaving sigh. "I guess," she said, sounding audibly deflated. Cupid couldn't help but smile at her pouting face.

"Don't worry," Cupid said, sitting back up straight herself. "I'm sure they'll sort everything out." Blondie gave her a wide-eyed look. "What? Goddess of love, remember?" Cupid tapped the side of her nose with a wink, which caused Blondie to giggle. "Anyway, I'm sure there'll be lots more to report on in the meantime," she added. "And…maybe you can focus on your own crush while you're waiting?"

At Cupid's words, Blondie seemed to pale considerably. Her reaction both alarmed and intrigued Cupid, who had never seen her friend acting quite so oddly before. "Um, yeah, maybe," Blondie replied noncommittally, fiddling with her teddy-bear microphone, eyes glued to her lap. "But you know me—news first—"

"Everything else after," Cupid cut her off, rolling her eyes affectionately. "Yes, I know. But I _am_ the goddess of love—can you blame me for being a little nosey? I'm just trying to look out for your happiness—which, by the way, isn't exactly easy since you won't tell me who it is you're crushing on!" She shot Blondie a meaningful look, which the blonde artfully ignored. Cupid sighed—if she was perfectly honest, it did hurt a little that Blondie clearly didn't trust her with her crush. But that was Blondie's business, and if she didn't want to tell, then Cupid certainly wasn't going to force her to do so.

Even if Blondie was acting odd.

 _Very_ odd, in fact, with her random blushing and fidgeting under touches that normally wouldn't have caused her to bat an eyelash…

Something clicked in Cupid's brain. But…it couldn't be. Surely it was possible that Cupid was reading the signs wrong. She wasn't perfect, after all.

But still…

She stood up slowly as Blondie hopped up next to her and started loudly admiring the magical flowers blooming all around them in an unsubtle attempt to defer Cupid.

What if she _was_ right?

What then?

And, most importantly—how did Cupid feel about that? She'd never even considered the possibility, which was probably why she hadn't been able to detect Blondie's feelings for her at once when she was usually so astute at such things. She'd been blinded by their friendship.

But now that the possibility _had_ occurred to her…what was she to do with it? She couldn't just ignore it, though that appeared to be Blondie's method. Ignoring feelings never made anything better, and often made everything worse, and Cupid refused to put her BFFA of all people through that if she was indeed correct in her theory.

But…what could she do?

And before any of that…how did she feel about her best friend, now that the possibility had occurred to her?

Cupid heaved a small sigh, then instantly regretted it, as she inhaled a mouthful of pollen and her nose began to burn again.

First, she needed to get out of this hexing garden.

* * *

 **A small side note- Cupid having allergies is canon to both the stories and the show :P It worked for the scene so I decided to use it, haha.**

 **This chapter was admittedly a bit of a filler—I had to get the Rapple conversation out of the way to really get into the actual Rapple plotline. Please remember to review—I know I've said before how important it is for us writers—and I'll see you guys next chapter!**


	14. Thirteen: Enter the Joker

**Chapter thirteen is here! Thanks as always for your awesome reviews, guys! They're what keep me going when it gets harder for the story to come!**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Thirteen: Enter the Joker**

* * *

When she and Apple had talked, Raven hadn't really known what Apple meant by saying that she would 'charm' her.

Halfway through the next day, she thought she was starting to get an idea.

She had moved back into her dorm that she shared with Apple following their talk, figuring that would be best if she wanted to start figuring out how she felt about Apple. After all, they didn't exactly have a whole lot of classes together.

Of course, now Apple darting around the room half-dressed carried an entirely new meaning, and Raven had started to get dizzy from blood rushing to her head before she even made it out of the room. From the way Apple had reacted—rushing forward and clasping both arms around Raven's right arm, asking if she was okay and pulling Raven into her generous cleavage—she wasn't entirely sure this was unintentional.

Briefly, as she got ready, her eyes caught sight of Apple standing before her massive closet dressed only in her bra and panties, and whipped her head away, face flushed again, wondering if maybe there should be _some_ boundaries. She was starting to feel uncomfortably warm as her insides, particularly her lower body, tingled at the sight of Apple's generous, soft curves and flawless skin.

But she had brushed it off as she pulled her hair into a high ponytail and a fully clothed Apple skipped forward to loop their arms together as they left for their classes.

Apple had also gone back to claiming Raven as her partner in all the classes that they _did_ share, and if Raven had thought this might have raised suspicions before, it was nothing compared to now, when pretty much the entire school thought they were dating anyway.

As soon as Professor Rumplestiltskin had announced that they would be working in partners for the day, Apple had once again looped her arm around Raven's, this time simultaneously grabbing her hand as she loudly announced that Raven was 'hers'.

Once again, Raven felt the blood rushing to her head, but she hadn't attempted to pull away from Apple. Whatever her feelings _were_ , their time apart had made it clear to her that however embarrassing, she liked the feeling of being 'claimed' by Apple, and of being pampered by her.

Now that lunch was rolling around, though, she was starting to realize she had no idea what being 'claimed' by Apple really was.

Apparently, Dexter had decided that, like Apple, he was not going to just sit back and let Raven be stolen away from him. Raven walked into the castleteria, accompanied, of course, by Apple, only to come to a halt at her usual table. Dexter was sitting there, right next to her usual seat, with his own tray in front of him and another, presumably for Raven, next to it.

"I got your favorite," he said, hopefully, his cheeks flushing as she took the proffered seat, feeling Apple's grip tighten almost painfully around her arm as she did so.

"Thanks, Dex," she said, just a little awkward after their last encounter. Still, it was a genuinely sweet thing to do, and she wasn't just going to turn him away, especially since she was working out what she felt for him, as well. "That's really sweet."

"Yeah, really sweet," she heard Apple mumble just loud enough for her to hear. Raven turned to look at Apple, concerned, but the blonde was glaring petulantly at the table, so she shrugged and turned back to Dexter.

They were soon joined by Briar, who was half-dragging a near-comatose Holly along with her. "Passed by the bookball field on the way here," she said by way of greeting, jerking her head towards Holly and rolling her eyes. "Turns out Darling joined the team. They were doing stretches. Come on, sweetie, sit down now."

Apple's mood seemed to brighten a little at this as she giggled with her friends, and Raven gave a small sigh of relief.

"So…how have you been, Raven?" Dexter asked, a little louder than he normally would have, obviously trying to win back her attention. Beside her, Raven heard Apple give what she could swear was a tiny scoff. She frowned slightly at the blonde, who again averted her gaze. It wasn't like Apple to be so…well, not sweet!

"I've been fine," Raven replied kindly, shooting Apple a bemused glance. "You?"

"Yeah, I'm doing okay," Dexter said, affecting a brave tone. "I mean, I've been better, haha..."

This time, Apple gave an audible huff, and Raven felt Apple's soft curves press firmly into her side as the grip on her arm tightened even further.

Across the table, Briar looked right at home, alone watching the entire scene play out in all its teenage absurdity. Raven was surprised she didn't pull out a bag of popcorn. She widened her eyes in the direction of the brunette.

 _Help me!_

Briar pursed her lips for a long moment, then seemed to decide on being merciful. She leaned forward so that her chest was pressed against the table, arms folded in front of her. Raven surprised herself in glancing away with a slight blush. It was nothing compared to her reaction to Apple, but still…Briar was still a girl. Was Raven possibly not as straight as she'd always assumed? "So, Apple," Briar began, conversationally, "are you planning on running for Thronecoming Queen again this year?"

This, thankfully, seemed to distract Apple, whose grip loosened as she leaned in to speak excitedly with her BFFA of all her Thronecoming plans, leaving Raven free to focus on Dexter for a moment.

"You're really okay?" she asked, her voice soft, laced with a small amount of guilt. The shock of having two incredibly attractive people 'fighting' over her hadn't been exactly unpleasant, per se, but Dexter and Apple were both her friends, and Raven really didn't want either of them to get hurt because of her.

"Yeah," Dexter said, shooting her a half-smile. He reached out and set his hand atop hers as if he'd been psyching himself up to it. His palm was clammy—he was clearly nervous. "Raven, I care about you. I want you to be happy. I want you to…I want you to know who you'll be happiest with, so you can choose who you really want to be with."

Like Apple, it looked like it cost him a lot to say this. Raven smiled back at him and laced her fingers through his, trying not to focus on how she didn't feel funny in the pit of her stomach holding his hand like she did with Apple. "Thank you, Dex," she said, and meant it.

Of course, Apple chose that exact moment to turn back to Raven, and her eyes widened, then narrowed as she focused on their hands.

"So, Dexter," she said, louder than was strictly necessary and leaning well into Raven's personal space. To Raven's shock, she reached right over Raven and clasped Dexter's hand herself, forcing him to release Raven. She fixed him with a sickly sweet smile that Raven had never seen before on Apple—it would look, she thought, much more at home on someone like Duchess or Kitty—and continued, "I know we haven't really talked in forever after, but Raven tells me you're still a really _nice_ guy." Apple hesitated, giving Dexter a _very_ obvious once-over. "I guess that has to count for something, right?"

Raven's eyes widened in disbelief. Across the table, Briar went into a coughing fit to cover up a loud snort. Even Holly seemed to break from her Darling-induced trance at the sight of Apple White acting downright catty.

"Uh…yeah," Dexter said, clearly unsure of what to say in response. "I guess so."

Again, Apple shot him a too-sweet smile, and Raven felt an arm curl tightly around her waist and was overcome by a wave of delicious apple-cinnamon perfume as Apple's curls fell over her shoulder.

"I really don't know how Daring gets all the girls," she continued. "I mean, you're much sweeter, Dexter. I'm sure there are plenty of girls who have noticed you…nobody could blame you if your gaze…slipped…once or twice…"

Raven stiffened as she realized what Apple was doing. With a great amount of effort (and a greater amount of willpower), she forced Apple's arm from around her waist, receiving a positively wounded look in return. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" she ground out, not waiting for a reply before she stalked away from the table. Apple, so confident moments before, followed like a puppy who'd been caught in the trash.

* * *

"What was _that_ about, Apple?!" Raven hissed the second they were out of hearing range. She affected a high-pitched tone, "Nobody could _blame_ you if your gaze slipped… What the hex?"

Apple wasn't meeting Raven's eyes. Her right hand was gripping her left arm and her lips were pursed as if she were trying not to say something.

" _Well_?"

"I was just trying to help him, Rav—"

"No, try again," Raven said, cutting Apple off before she could finish her sentence. "I've never seen you act that way, Apple! It was almost like watching Duchess out there!"

" _Hexcuse_ me," came a slightly nasally voice from behind the pair, and Raven straightened just as Duchess Swan slipped delicately in between the two. "Whatever this little lover's quarrel is about, leave me out of it."

"Right, I'm sure you have enough of those with Poppy," Raven deadpanned right back, not thinking. She instantly regretted her words as Duchess flushed and seemed to puff up in front of her. The last thing she needed was an argument with Duchess Swan when she was trying to have an argument with Apple.

But, to Raven's utter shock, Duchess turned on her heel and darted down the hallway without another word, her arms flapping occasionally at her sides.

"Um," Raven said, blinking a few times. Then she regained her focus and turned back to Apple, who had seemed to pull herself together in those few moments of distraction. She was now glaring at Raven with a determined fire in her eyes. "Tell me the truth, Apple."

"You want the truth?" Apple asked, folding her plump arms over her chest. "Fine. I didn't like the way he was holding your hand, like you belonged to him or something." Her face was flushed, but her voice was steady and her eyes didn't waver.

Raven gawked for a moment. Whatever she'd been expecting, it hadn't been for Apple to just come out with it all at once like that. And besides that… "Wait, what?" she asked, voice tinged with disbelief. "First of all, I can hold whoever's hand I want." Apple's lips formed a distinct pout at this, and Raven tried to fight back the sense of impending guilt. "Besides, hand-holding is hardly proof of me 'belonging' to anyone. And for that matter, haven't _you_ been clinging on me all day? How is that any different?"

Apple didn't seem to have an answer for this one, but she was still looking fairly argumentative. After a moment, she spoke again, so quietly that Raven almost didn't hear her, and had to lean forward to catch every word.

"He's acting like you're still his," she mumbled, eyes glued to the floor, chubby cheeks dusted a pretty pink. "I don't like it."

Raven felt her face heat up despite herself. She knew she should discourage this behavior, but… But a large part of her was ridiculously attracted to Apple's borderline possessive behavior—the same part that wanted to grab the blonde and kiss her silly right this instant. But she had promised herself that she wouldn't get romantically involved with either of them until she had made her decision. It just wasn't fair to them.

"Okay…," she said, slowly, biting down on her lower lip while simultaneously biting down on her hormones. "But Apple, like I said before, you've been…you know…really affectionate, too, and—"

"But you've never _been_ mine!" Apple interrupted, her eyes finally meeting Raven's. She had actually stomped her foot with these words. "I'm just acting how I always do with you!"

Raven wasn't sure this was entirely true. "You've never been _this_ affectionate," she replied, though she was sure she resembled a tomato by this point. Talking so openly about feelings, specifically Apple's for her, was not something Raven had planned on having to do.

Apple huffed. "Well, can you blame me if I'm a _little_ touchier than usual?" she replied defensively. "Maybe this is just a hassle to you, Raven, but…but I really want to be with you!"

A feeling of intense guilt crashed over Raven. She _had_ been trying to go about everything as normally as she always would. Of course it wouldn't be the same—of _course_ Apple would want to be closer, and, if she was entirely honest, Raven certainly wasn't disliking the extra attention. "Apple…," she began, looking Apple in the eye—she was startled to find the beginnings of tears there, "I'm _sorry_. I didn't even try to think about things that way. This is all just…so new to me that I've just been trying to go about as normally as I can."

Apple seemed to study her for a minute. Then her cherry-red lips broke into a fond smile as she reached out and took Raven's hands in her own. "It's alright, Raven," she replied, squeezing reassuringly. "I may have been a bit…proactive…in trying to get Dexter to back off."

"A bit?" Raven asked, amusement in her tone.

Apple rolled her eyes. "A bit," she repeated. "Now come here."

She pulled Raven forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her, and Raven found herself reciprocating immediately. As they hugged, she felt weeks' worth of stress melt away beneath Apple's soft, warm, safe embrace. Apple holding her felt like coming home, and Raven very nearly lost herself in it as she breathed in the scent of those perfect, blonde ringlets. But then she remembered Dexter, and, belatedly, Briar and Holly. It would look very suspicious indeed if they took too long out here.

"Let's go back in," she said, reluctantly pulling away from Apple, who allowed the parting but secured Raven's left arm as she fell to her side. "And…try to be a little nicer?"

"Oh, Raven," Apple replied, waving a hand in the air as if to dismiss Raven's concerns, "when am I ever _not_ nice?"

Raven responded with a little half smile, though she had the oddest feeling that she hadn't actually resolved anything at all as they reentered the castleteria and Apple's grip tightened around her arm.

* * *

Holly had no idea how she had gotten to the castleteria—she could only assume that Briar had guided her there, since the tall brunette was currently seated right next to her.

But that was hardly the issue at the moment. What had snapped Holly out of her Darling-induced coma was the sight and sound of Apple White staking a _very_ unsubtle claim on Raven Queen. She blinked wordlessly as Raven stood up, her movement rather jerky, and demanded that Apple follow her out of the castleteria.

" _Wow_ ," Briar deadpanned. "That was not subtle _at all_." She turned to Dexter, who was picking at his food. "Sorry, man."

Holly shot her a chastising glare, to which Briar widened her eyes and held up her hands as if to say, 'what?'. Holly just rolled her eyes and turned back to Dexter with a sympathetic expression.

For a moment, Dexter looked like he was going to say something, either to play dumb or defend himself, but after a few seconds, he seemed to deflate with a sigh. "She's not gonna pick me, is she?" he asked with a small, brave half-smile.

Briar hummed and Holly bit her lip anxiously. The truth was that although Holly knew Raven did care for Dexter, the way she interacted with Apple without even thinking about it spoke volumes about who she should really _be_ with. "Dexter…," Holly said softly, reaching out to touch his hand in consolation.

But Dexter pulled his hand back and shook his head, raising his eyes to meet her gaze. "Don't worry about me," he said, still affecting that meek smile. "It's like I told Raven…I kind of always saw something there, you know? I'm just glad I got the time I had with her."

With that, he stood up from the table, tray in hand, and left, presumably to sit with his siblings.

"That is _bleak_ ," Briar commented.

Holly rolled her eyes. "It's _brave_ ," she shot back. "And very chivalrous, when you think about it. I'm not sure there are many boys who would do that for the girl they love…or at least care for deeply."

"It's still depressing," Briar replied. Then she turned to Holly and raised her eyebrows. "Speaking of which, I see _you've_ recovered."

Holly flushed, then huffed at the insinuation. "Having a crush on Darling Charming is not depressing," she shot. "If anything, it makes much more sense than having a crush on any of the other girls around here." As soon as she'd said the words, she thought better of them. "I mean, not that the girls here aren't beautiful, or anything," she quickly corrected, ignoring Briar's amused grin, "but, I mean, Darling is just so… _charming_."

"What a beautiful description," Briar drawled. "Well, if you want to hook up—"

"I do _not_ want to just 'hook up'!" Holly replied, indignantly.

Briar rolled her eyes. "Picky," she muttered. "Well, whatever—if you want to get together," she eyed Holly beadily, but was met by no objections, "you'll have to get over this whole fangirl stage. You know that, right?"

Holly flushed. "Of course I know that," she said. "It's just hard to do when you're crushing on someone so… _dreamy_."

Briar mock gagged, and Holly shot her a stern look through her blush. The tall brunette sighed and stood up from the table. "I don't know, Holly, write some fanfiction about it or something," she said, thumping Holly on the back, nearly sending the latter face first into her potatoes. "Isn't that how you writer types get out your…frustrations?"

She winked salaciously before turning on her heel and walking away with a swing of the hips. Holly watched after her for a moment, feeling an irrational spike of irritation. How was it fair that Briar could manage to be so seductive without even _trying_ , when Holly herself was constantly mistaken for an underclassman?

She did have one thing right, though, Holly thought as she turned back to her meal, glumly realizing that she had been completely abandoned at the table. Fanfiction writing _was_ a good way to…well…vent her frustrations, so to speak.

And she had just the pair in mind…

* * *

 **Drawing the Joker**

Wonderland.

It's almost impossible to describe from an outsider's point of view.

Upside down, inside-out and topsy-turvy come to mind.

And mad, of course.

Always mad.

 **PGBR**

"Your majesty, the White Rabbit is here to see you!"

Blue eyes, rimmed with thick, black eyeliner, flickered open and hardened. "What for?" the Queen of Hearts demanded, standing and turning to face the simpering card guard who knelt before her. She inclined her head just slightly, basking in the moment.

She loved it—the control.

Watching them bow before her, trembling in her wake.

"W-what…for, your Majesty?"

One thin, black eyebrow arched above a large, red heart painted over one eye. "Yes," she repeated slowly, as if talking to a child. "What. For?"

The card (a five of clubs, not even a face card—not even a heart) let out a whimper. "S-she has a question, Your Majesty," stuttering, _pathetic_ , "about—about the story. About the boy—about the next Alice—"

"Send her away!" The Queen spat. She was too busy to be bothered with the insecurities of a silly, lovestruck bunny rabbit.

The card jumped, as if slapped. "Y-yes, Your Majesty!"

It scrambled out of the room as if it were on fire.

The Queen of Hearts watched it go with half-lidded eyes. It was probably sighing in relief right about now, she mused. Good. There was more power to be gained from reigning through fear than through kindness.

Still…

She turned her gaze back to her quarters—a hedonist's paradise if ever there was one. It was a masterpiece in red and black, with the odd white splashed in here and there to keep it from looking too terribly grim. A large, plush red sofa sat to the left of the door, and next to it, a large, heart-shaped wardrobe. The bed served as the centerpiece, though it wasn't heart-shaped itself ( _that_ would be horribly tacky), framed by a black nightstand on each side. Several large poufs in varying shades of red, black and white littered the room and atop a black bureau sat a collection of stuffed animals, one of the only traces of something beyond queen ship that she allowed herself. On the far end of the room, facing to the west, was a splendid balcony framed by two doors made completely of glass. A fainting couch rested just inside the balcony, and on it, a blonde with a smile worthy of the Cheshire cat…

The Queen of Hearts just barely stopped herself from shrieking, a hand rocketing up to her breast, as if to clutch her rapidly beating heart.

"Why if it isn't little Lizzie Hearts," the intruder crooned in a cockney accent. She stretched luxuriously, panther-like, before standing and cocking a hip, resting a hand on it. "'Ello, love."

"You are to address me as 'Your Majesty'," snapped Lizzie Hearts. She had long-since perfected the imperious voice she had been honing since childhood. "And what are you doing _here_ , Courtly Jester? In my private chambers, might I add?"

"Goosey Goosey Gander, whither shall I wander?" sing-songed Courtley as she took a step further into the room, running a hand along the back of the fainting couch. "Upstairs and downstairs and in my lady's chamber!" She punctuated the rhyme with a mad laugh.

Lizzie's eyes narrowed, and her arms folded over her chest.

"You are not welcome here, Joker," she stated in her most queenly voice. "Leave now, before I banish you to the outlands."

"Oh, dear, not the _outlands_!" cried Courtly, spinning to face Lizzie, eyes glittering with mirth. She flounced toward Lizzie, ducking down so that she was looking up at Lizzie, arms behind her back. "It's so terribly _frightening_ out there!"

"What do you want?" Lizzie demanded, dropping all pretenses.

Courtly straightened, and so too did her features, all traces of madness vanished. "My fair share," she stated. "I _want_ to rule, darling," she added. "But I would settle for a share of the kingdom."

"You shan't have it," Lizzie replied, her voice hard. "Even if I were at liberty to simply allocate the kingdom to whomever I wished, what makes you think I would trust a Joker with any of it?"

Courtly hummed under her breath. "I thought you might say that," she said after a moment. Turning away from Lizzie, she began to walk slowly around the room, eyes roaming from one thing to another as if she were on a tour. "You know," she said after several minutes, seemingly unaware of (or unperturbed by) Lizzie's hawk-like gaze following her every movement, "it's interesting that _you_ should have become the Queen of Hearts."

Lizzie felt herself inflate, her chest puffing in indignance, hands tightening into fists at her side. "You _dare_ —" she began, but Courtly, spinning to face her, cut her off.

"Oh, don't take it so _personally_ ," she said, completely unaffected by Lizzie's growing ire. This only served to increase it—if there was anything Lizzie Hearts couldn't stand, it was not being in control of a situation. "I simply meant that it is quite ironic that a girl who could not hold onto even one heart in her youth is now the queen of all hearts." Courtly shrugged, once again turning away. "But then again, it is a mad, mad world out there…"

"You…" Lizzie was at a loss for words. "How _dare—_ How _could_ —"

"I have my ways, Your Majesty," Courtly drawled. "Just a word of advice, though."

In an instant she was inches from Lizzie's face, her eyes dark and her lips parted. Slowly, almost _tenderly_ , she leaned forward and pushed several strands of dark hair behind Lizzie's ear. Lizzie's eyes widened and she batted the hand away reflexively, only for Courtly to grab her wrist, twist it and shove her back against the wall. Before Lizzie could struggle, one of Courtly's long, slender, tights-covered legs was pressed firmly between her own so that she was rendered completely immobile.

Lizzie glared up at Courtly with as much hatred as she could muster, her jaw set. Her free hand, which Courtly had taken in her own and pressed roughly to the wall, flexed as she dug her nails as tightly as she could into the pale flesh that kept her there.

Courtly didn't seem to notice, or, if she did, she took a weird pleasure out of it, as her smile became an almost deranged grin. She leaned forward, close enough that Lizzie could feel her cheek flush against her own, and tilted her head slightly so that her lips were pressed to Lizzie's exposed ear.

"A queen ought to be a little more careful with her heart," she whispered. "I hope you've grown less foolish since your school days." Her leg pressed minutely more firmly into place, and despite herself, Lizzie felt a wave of heat pulse down between her legs. Her grip tightened on Courtly's hand, and she felt rather than saw her smirk against the flesh of her ear. "I wouldn't want you to make it too easy for me," Courtly continued, evidently quite aware of what she was doing to Lizzie. Slowly, purposefully, her lips slips slipped from Lizzie's ear, leaving a molten trail down to the crook of her neck, where she stopped, her eyes raising to meet Lizzie's.

And she bit down.

Lizzie resisted the urge to cry out, but just barely. She felt the skin beneath her fingernails break, though Courtly didn't flinch. The blonde brought herself back to her full height, though she didn't pull back, resulting in their lips just barely brushing against each other. "That would be dreadfully dull, after all," she murmured, and Lizzie fought to keep her eyes open as she felt Courtly's lips move against her own.

And then, without warning, Courtly smashed their lips together. It was a kiss unlike any Lizzie had ever experienced before—all teeth and tongues and a battle for dominance that neither was willing to surrender. She growled into Courtly's mouth, straining against the Joker's hold, not to pull away or attack, but to pull her in closer.

But Courtly pulled away with a loud smack before Lizzie could break free.

"I'll see you around, then, love," she said, her voice husky, eyes dilated with pure, unabashed arousal.

And then, quite suddenly, she let go of Lizzie and flounced back out to the balcony, hopping onto the railing and balancing there just long enough to send the queen a lewd wink.

And then she was gone.

With a whimper most unbecoming of a queen, Lizzie Hearts slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, uncomfortably aware of the pulsing between her legs as she tried to regulate her breathing.

She had expected Courtly, of course. But this… It seemed as though Courtly Jester planned to make herself a much bigger pest than Lizzie had prepared for.

She sat there for a long time, hands pressed to her lips as though she were praying.

And then, slowly, a smile crept onto plump, blood-red lips.

For the first time since she had left school for Wonderland, Lizzie Hearts was not bored at all.

* * *

"Duchess, what's—oompf!"

Poppy let out a muffled cry of surprise as Duchess shoved her into a wall and began to attack her lips like they were candy.

"Duchess, come— _mmm_ …come on, hold up," Poppy struggled to get out as the taller girl pressed closer. She yelped as Duchess's hands slipped from their position on her waist. "Grimm, Duchess!" she cried out, finally managing to pull away and folding her arms over her chest protectively. Duchess rolled her eyes, setting a hand on her waist as she regarded Poppy with a look that clearly said 'really?'. "What's with the manhandling, dude?"

"First of all," Duchess said, already fixing her hair, "never call me 'dude' again." This time it was Poppy's turn to roll her eyes. "Secondly, I think some people are…on to us."

Poppy snorted, then tried to turn it into a cough when Duchess whipped her head around and fixed her with a glare. "Really?" Poppy asked as she got ahold of herself. "People are on to us, so your immediate response is to try to kiss the lips off my face? Not that I mind, or anything," she added quickly, when Duchess raised an eyebrow.

"No," the ballerina admitted, flushing and turning away from Poppy. "That was…well…I couldn't help myself," she muttered, darkening even further. Poppy felt her heart skip a beat in her chest.

"Aww…," she managed to coo sarcastically, through her own flustered state.

"Shut up!" Duchess snapped. Poppy frowned. She did seem a little stressed out. "I was just thinking…we need to be careful."

"You mean more careful than barely acknowledging each other?" Poppy asked, deadpan.

"Yes!" Duchess replied, completely serious. Poppy rolled her eyes. "Thanks to that stupid story by your sister, everyone already suspects something, so—"

"So _what_?" Poppy asked, a little defensive now. She hadn't thought Duchess would be exactly jumping for joy at the thought of going public, but if barely acknowledging the other's existence was too 'close'…

Duchess flushed at Poppy's tone. "Poppy, no," she said, her voice suddenly taking on a more gentle, and slightly pleading tone as she reached out and grabbed one of Poppy's hands. "I'm not ashamed or anything, I promise. I'm just…not quite ready yet." Her gaze fell to the floor next to Poppy's feet. "It's…it's hard to explain. Just please, give me a little bit longer?"

With Duchess practically pleading, Poppy could hardly refuse. She nodded, and Duchess let out a happy noise—something between a squeal and a honk—and clasped Poppy's face between her hands, pulling her in for a sound kiss.

Poppy watched after Duchess as she walked back down the hall—Duchess walked like royalty, tall and confident, with just a slight, seductive sway to her hips which Poppy thought (hoped) might have been for her benefit.

Sighing, she fell back against the door to her dorm room (Duchess had caught her right before she'd entered) and allowed her head to knock against the wood. She'd known Duchess was going to be a handful—she supposed she'd better get used to it sooner rather than later. Still, she hoped Duchess didn't take too long…Poppy really loved the feeling of Duchess's hand in hers, of her arm secure around her waist…

She let out a yelp as her surface was suddenly yanked away from her and, unable to catch her balance, she toppled over backwards.

"Guess who just wrote another fanfic?!" Holly cried, excitedly, before blinking and glancing down at her sister on the floor. "What are you doing down there?"

Poppy glared up at her for a long moment before responding. "Oh, nothing, just contemplating the meaning of life," she replied sarcastically as she got to her feet. "So, what was this new story about, anyway?"

* * *

 **Aaaaand scene! I know, I know—I was going to focus on Briar and Faybelle this chapter, but then this monster came out instead! I promise I'm not leaving everyone else behind! I know I've been focusing on these pairs a lot recently, but trust me, I'm not going to abandon the others! I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter anyway!**

 **Please, please leave me a review, and until next time, read on!**


	15. Fourteen: The Path to Love

**Quick note: this is a fanfiction. I don't get paid to write it. When I update frequently, it's when I'm very motivated/have the time to do so. I do have a life, and a job, though one that luckily does usually leave me time to write. Reminding me of how long it's been and subsequently asking 'when I'm going to update' is a little rude, and it does not make me want to update faster. Please don't act entitled to new chapters repeatedly one after the other. Writing 3-5,000 word chapters isn't easy, especially if you want it to be done halfway decently.**

 **That being said, to the vast majority of my reviewers, you have been super awesome throughout this whole thing, and I do apologize for the longer wait than usual! Also, WOO! We broke 100 reviews! You guys are the best!**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Fourteen: The Path to Love (Never Did Run Smooth)**

* * *

"HOLLY O'HAIR!"

Holly started, nearly falling out of her desk as she scrabbled around to face the source of the yell.

Lizzie Hearts was storming toward her, her mere aura cutting her a path through the crowd of wide-eyed students.

"What," she demanded as she came to a stop only about a foot away from Holly, "is _this_?" She gesticulated to her tablet, which was open to Holly's latest fanfiction.

"Uh…well…," Holly hedged as she slid out of her chair (awkwardly, as she was surrounded on all sides by curious onlookers) to face Lizzie. She wasn't comfortable with Lizzie hearts towering over her while she cowered in her seat. She was unpleasantly surprised, however, to find that despite the fact that she was now standing slightly taller than Lizzie, who was rather short, even compared to Holly, the enraged Princess of Hearts was no less intimidating. "It's…fanfiction? As in, a made-up story that is in no way meant to be taken seriously?"

Lizzie scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Please, this is high school, Holly O'Hair," she replied sharply. "People are going to believe anything you put in front of their faces and _you_ ," a slender, well-manicured finger prodded Holly in the chest, "have just published _this_!" Once again, she waved her tablet in front of Holly's face, and then nodded down at Holly's arms, which were folded protectively beneath her chest. "Off with your hands!"

"Chill out, Lizzie," came a voice from somewhere within the crowd. Holly glanced up to see Briar squeezing through the mass of students, who began to part for her much as they had for Lizzie. In all her laid back, effortless beauty, Briar Beauty was quite as intimidating as Lizzie Hearts. "It's just a story. If anyone did believe it, you're just making it worse by flipping out about it." She sidled up behind Holly and seated herself casually on top of her desk, and Holly instantly felt a little safer. Lizzie Hearts was not someone you wanted to take on alone—besides that, Briar's mellow, laid back demeanor was quite calming.

"This has nothing to do with you," Lizzie barked, imperiously. Briar cocked an eyebrow. "If she wants to play her little games, she has to be prepared to face the consequences." Lizzie shuffled a deck of cards between her hands.

"And what are you going to do, challenge her to a game of crazy eights?" Briar asked dryly. "Just leave it, Lizzie. No one thinks you've got a lady boner for that psycho joker."

Lizzie huffed, though, to her benefit, she just barely flushed at Briar's lewdlyrded comment. "Fine," she stated shortly. "I will drop it…for now." She shifted her gaze to Holly, who was looking tentatively relieved. "But I would advise you to be a little more careful who you feature in your little stories, Holly O'Hair," she said, fixing Holly with a hard glare. "Some of us have a reputation to uphold."

With those final words, Lizzie stomped out of the classroom, taking most of the crowd along with her as well. Briar watched, only slightly amused, her legs dangling casually off the side of the desk as Holly let out a long sigh and fell back into her chair.

"Ugh…," she groaned, burying her face in her hands, "maybe she's right."

Briar rolled her eyes. "Don't be thick," she replied, blunt as ever. "You've seen what your stories are doing first hand. If anything is happening, it's that people are starting to face their feelings for once. Look at Raven and Apple—that never would have been a possibility without your stories. And you can't tell me there isn't something between your sister and Duchess. Yesterday I was joking around with Poppy, with my arm around her neck, you know, and then out of fucking nowhere Duchess shows up, shoves into me and yanks her away, making some lame-o excuse about dance or whatever."

"Swans are territorial creatures," Holly mused in response, to which Briar rolled her eyes.

"So, anyway," Briar began, leaning back on her palms and giving Holly a sidelong glance, on that Holly was already wary of, "I'm _pretty_ sure I just diffused a pretty tense situation for you." She paused, Holly thought probably for effect. "So, does that make me, like, your 'Prince Charming' or something now?" She added a completely unsubtle wink to complete the effect.

"Ugh!"

Holly, flushing brilliantly, shoved Briar's arm, though for all the good it did she may as well have saved the effort. Briar, laughing throatily, just swayed back into her original sitting position.

"What? It's true, isn't it?"

"It is not," Holly replied, trying (and failing) not to sound petulant. "Besides, what if someone heard you say that?"

At this, Briar cocked an eyebrow. "By someone, I'm guessing you mean Darling?" Holly made a frantic 'shushing' gesture. Briar rolled her eyes and waved it off. "Relax, she doesn't even have this study hall." Briar's expression shifted just slightly, and for a half second, Holly could have sworn she saw a prick of annoyance on Briar's usually carefree features. "And so what if she did hear?"

"So—well, you know, it just…sounds weird!" Holly replied, flustered and completely nonplussed by what she had seen in Briar's expression. But Holly had blinked, and it was gone before she could do a double take.

Her stuttered response garnered her another raised eyebrow, which was, after a moment, accompanied by a lecherous grin that made Holly wonder whether she'd imagined the subtle change.

"And just what are you implying, Holly O'Hair?" Briar drawled, leaning forward so that Holly could feel the body heat radiating off of her, and smell the sweet, rose-scented perfume that Briar was so fond of.

Flushing madly, Holly tried to distance herself, but found that, as her chair was attached to her desk, she could only lean so far back. She glanced back up at Briar, wide-eyed, only to find the brunette back at a somewhat more respectable (but still fairly suggestive) distance.

"Chill out, Holly," Briar said, tossing her long caramel locks back over her shoulder. Holly caught another whiff of roses as she just narrowly missed getting smacked in the face by said hair. "Being wound up so tightly isn't good for you _or_ your colon."

Once again, Holly found herself flushing a magnificent magenta as Briar casually dusted off her clothes. "Where are you going?" she managed after a moment. "Study hall's another forty minutes."

"Please, I can think of a hundred better ways to spend my remaining time than sitting in some classroom waiting for the bell to ring," Briar replied dryly. She reached down, and for a wild second, Holly thought she was going to press her finger to her lips. But then, quicker than she could react, Briar had curled the finger and flicked her nose. Holly recoiled with a startled yelp. "Seriously, Holls. Just relax, okay? You'll never get anywhere with her if you can't even string a sentence together in her presence."

Holly shot her a mild glower, to which Briar responded with a casual wave over her shoulder as she sauntered out of the room like she owned it.

* * *

Outside of one of the many castle windows, a pair of shockingly blue eyes watched the exchange between the two girls.

"Hmm, hmmm, hmmm," the figure hummed, stretching languidly on the tree branch they were occupying. "And here I was getting a little…bored. Everyone is just so… _predictable_."

"But this…" The figure swung their lithe body into a sitting position, unsettling eyes following Briar as she walked out the door. Like Holly, those sharp eyes had caught the flicker of annoyance from Briar, and a good deal more that Holly had not. "Now _this_ is _interesting_."

A positively mad grin split thin, lavender-tinted lips, and Kitty Cheshire disappeared in a glittering poof.

* * *

"I just don't know how much longer I can _stand_ it!"

"I know, sweetie, I know," Briar murmured, fingers threading absently through Apple's blonde ringlets. "But you did say you'd give her time."

Classes were long over by now, and the two girls were in the common room, Briar sitting on the arm of the sofa with Apple's head resting heavily in her lap as the latter despaired over the status of her relationship with Raven.

"I _know_!" Apple half-whined into Briar's magenta dress. "But I hate it! I just _hate_ it!" She pounded a fist against her leg, then winced. Briar rolled her eyes. Apple was her BFFA, but the girl could be a real…well, a real _princess_ sometimes. "It's not _fair_."

"Well I hate to break it to you, but sometimes life isn't fair," Briar replied dryly. An image of a certain starry-eyed redhead cropped unbidden to her mind. "I know you wouldn't get it, Apple, but most people have to deal with sucky situations at one point or another. Whether it's their destiny or their love life."

Apple's brows furrowed, and she pulled her head up at length, turning to gaze up at Briar. "What's gotten into you, Briar?" she asked, her voice full of genuine concern. "It's not like you to be so…pessimistic. Did Faybelle say something?"

"Huh? Faybelle?" Briar blinked. She hadn't really talked to Faybelle in more than a week. But…it was about right for Apple to assume Faybelle would be at fault for whatever mood she was usually in. What _had_ gotten into her? "Oh, uh, nothing, Apple, don't worry about it. What you _should_ be worrying about how you're gonna woo Raven."

Apple frowned slightly, not quite buying Briar's answer, but then she shook her head, deciding to let it go, at least for now. "I don't know," she said at length, dropping her head back onto Briar's thigh. "She got mad at me last time…," Apple mumbled, tracing random spirals on Briar's leg.

The brunette let out a loud bark of laughter at this, earning herself a rather nasty (by Apple's standards) look from her blonde BFFA. "Oh, come on, Apple, for reals?" Briar asked, still giggling slightly. "You practically pissed on her leg!" Apple looked positively revolted, and Briar shook her head. "It's a metaphor. What I mean is, you weren't exactly subtle with Dexter, sweetie. You practically staked a claim on Raven right there in the castleteria, except she's not actually yours to claim."

Apple flushed hotly. "Well, I don't share well," she replied, petulantly. "And can you perhaps hold back on metaphors that refer to bodily functions?" Briar scoffed. "And she—well…" Apple seemed to deflate after a moment. "I guess she isn't mine to claim, is she? She said something like that too…"

Briar watched Apple with sympathetic eyes as her friend seemed to crumple slightly. That was the thing with Apple—in Briar's experience, most people tended to withdraw to some extent when they were upset. Apple, despite her repressed sexuality, was unusually open in most other matters, which made it near heart wrenching to see her truly upset. "You know she had to say that, right?" Briar asked, quietly. "She's just trying to be fair. And to be honest, she didn't act like she was upset with you at all."

Briar felt more than saw Apple shrug against her. "She didn't seem mad once I explained to her," she said. "And she let me hug her…and she hugged me back…"

"See?" Briar replied, grabbing and shaking Apple's shoulder bracingly. "I bet she secretly likes it when you go all sweet and nasty over her. Gotta say, I was getting a little tight in the pants, if you know what I mean…" She nudged Apple suggestively, wearing an overtly flirtatious grin.

Apple rolled her eyes, though Briar was pleased to see that there was at least a trace of her usual smile on her features. "First of all, Briar, while I am very flattered, you're just not my type," she said. Briar pulled a face and clapped a hand to her heart. "Secondly, eww. And thirdly, you don't have the necessary anatomy for that."

"Look at me, I'm Apple White, I got an A+++ in Anatomy," Briar replied, affecting a high voice and flipping her hair. Apple giggled, and Briar smiled down at her, gently brushing a blonde curl behind her ear. "Seriously, though, Apple. It's only been a couple days. The Apple White _I_ know doesn't give up even when she _should_. What's with this defeatist attitude?"

"I just…" Apple hesitated, biting down on her lower lip, her teeth leaving an imprint in her bright red lip gloss. "I really, _really_ like her," she finished quietly, and Briar thought she had never heard Apple so vulnerable in all the time she'd known her.

Briar let out a soft sigh and ran her fingers through Apple's hair, massaging her scalp as she went. She couldn't stand seeing her BFFA like this, and she knew she wasn't the only one. But she couldn't do anything but offer words of encouragement—none of them could. The choice was Raven's to make, even though the vast majority of the school was actively shipping the two future queens. Even though Apple was hurting.

And she was sure Raven knew that—just as sure as she was that Raven hated seeing Apple in pain just as much as, if not more so, than Briar did herself. But Raven seemed determined to be fair to everyone; that was just the way she was, and Briar knew she wouldn't make her choice until she was one hundred percent sure of it.

At least that's a plus, she thought vaguely as she slid off the arm of the couch. If this was what Apple was like in the _waiting_ process, Briar never wanted to see her betrayed. "Come on, Apple," she said, somewhat more gently than she usually would. "You'll feel better after you get some sleep. I can't believe I just said that…but seriously, I think you really need some."

Apple giggled and allowed Briar to pull her to her feet, nearly falling into her before steadying herself. "I guess you're probably right," she said. Then she seemed to perk up, her eyes lighting and her hands clapping together. "Ooh, Briar, Raven is just _so_ adorable at night when she's all sleepy! She lets me hug her and touch her more and she doesn't act as shy and embarrassed as she usually does, either!"

 _So it's on_ _ **purpose**_ _…_ , Briar thought vaguely. There'd been some question among the students of EAH as to whether or not Apple actually knew how gay and clingy she acted around Raven. Offhandedly, Briar wondered if Apple was going to be able to sleep at all now that she'd worked herself up. Maybe Briar should offer her a complementary, non-optional cold shower before she left…

But, there was one thing…

"You know, I always kinda thought you liked getting her all embarrassed," Briar commented.

"Well…honestly, I kind of _do_ ," Apple admitted, flushing slightly. "She's adorable when she's embarrassed… But, you know, I do get to hug her more when she's not all embarrassed, so…"

Briar rolled her eyes. "Grimm, how is that girl still _alive_?" she asked, thinking of shy, modest Raven Queen and how she tended to go as red as a tomato when Apple even touched her in public. "Poor Raven."

"Oh, hush," Apple replied, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she pushed past Briar and exited the common room ahead of her.

Grinning mischievously, Briar sauntered out in her wake, her own confused thoughts far from her, at least for the moment.

* * *

 **Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter than usual. And also later than usual. I'm trying to keep this story going but my internal motivation has just been pretty low despite all the awesome reviews you guys have given me (we broke 100! Woo!). But it's around this point I'm going to try to start bringing in some new characters to focus on, so hopefully that'll help!**

 **So I seem to have inadvertently brought something into existence between Briar and Holly, as a few of you have already pointed out to me. My question to you guys is, who would you like to see shipped with Holly? I think I did ask this once before, but I've noticed that I've kind of done some shippy stuff with them in the past few chapters so…yeah. Leave me your opinion as well as your thoughts in your reviews, guys!**

 **Also, I'm sorry, but a three-way is not an option—at least not for any combination of the pairings involved. I just can't see it at all. Other than that, I'm open to suggestions!**


	16. Fifteen: Cat's Cradle

**Alright guys, here's chapter fifteen! I decided to introduce some new plot lines (that mainly stem off the current ones) to add some more characters and interest! Special thanks to Aya Rose, who gave me an idea for how to start bringing Darling into the story as an actual, human character!**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Fifteen: Cat's Cradle**

* * *

Kitty Cheshire was an enigma of sorts to the majority of the population of Ever After High.

Then again, most of the Wonderlandians were, some more so than others.

But Kitty…

Nobody could ever figure out _quite_ what it was that she wanted. Half the time she gleefully pissed off other students (and teachers), including those most assumed to be her friends, while another portion of the time she seemed perfectly content to lie back in a tree and nap for hours. Yet another part of the time she seemed almost just like any other student, just wanting to spend time with her friends and go shopping and the like.

The answer to the riddle of Kitty Chesire was actually quite simple; so simple, in fact, that even if a student had ever thought it, they'd only have dismissed it right away as being too obvious.

Kitty Cheshire just wanted things to get just a little bit… _mad._

And she had a tingly, wonderlandiful feeling she was about to get her wish.

* * *

Holly had been in the library for most of Saturday, having arrived, along with her trusty laptop, just after breakfast.

There is a strange phenomenon that sometimes occurs with writers. When they get lost in their work, they _truly_ get lost in their work, dead to everything outside of the eerily bright screen.

Holly didn't notice as a couple dozen of her peers entered and exited the library around her, nor did she so much as glance up when Humphrey Dumpty dropped a stack of hardback books mere feet from her table.

In fact, by the time she looked up from her laptop, blinking away the dryness of her eyes and feeling just slightly ill from hours of staring at a bright screen, the sun had set outside the huge castle windows.

"Hi there."

Holly swore her heart stopped for a split second before trying to make up for it by going at four times its usual pace. Why was it she was always getting snuck up on?

"Or, maybe, it's just that you're always so caught up in your little stories that you don't notice the things that are right in front of you," smoothly sounded the same voice that had startled her.

Blinking furiously to banish the afterimage of the bright white screen, Holly managed to focus her eyes enough to make out her addressor. Indeed, Kitty Cheshire was standing—no, _sitting_ right in front of her, legs crossed beneath her, hands clasping her ankles, a positively feline grin splitting her lips.

"Did you just—" Holly was fairly certain Kitty couldn't read minds. But then an image of another Wonderlandian (one whose presence would have been much preferred) suddenly flashed in her mind, and a thought occurred to her. "Can you…hear them too?"

"Who?" Kitty asked, coyly.

"The…" Holly flushed slightly, embarrassed. "The narrators," she whispered, leaning in so that Kitty could hear her.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Kitty asked, though her tone belied not even a trace of genuine concern. In fact, Holly would have hazarded a guess that Kitty was rather amused by all of this. "Maybe untold hours of being alone with your laptop and your stories is going to your head…" Her grin widened.

"You're not going to get to me, Kitty," Holly mumbled, flushing more darkly and pulling back, straightening in her chair.

"Why, whatever do you mean?" Kitty cooed in a tone that clearly implied she knew exactly what Holly meant. "I'm just worried about you, Holly. You're acting a little…" She giggled coquettishly, holding a small hand (her nails, Holly noticed, were immaculately kept—she wouldn't have been surprised if those edges were sharper than a cat's claws) loosely over her lips. "Well, a little _mad_." Her pupils dilated and positively gleamed with mischief and, unless Holly was very much mistaken (and she hoped she was), just a trace of arousal.

"What do you want, Kitty?" she asked, knowing that all she could do was try to salvage her remaining dignity by not reacting to Kitty's taunts. She shut her laptop with a snap and, with great force of will, forced herself to meet those feral blue eyes.

Kitty hummed distractedly under her breath, seemingly right at home. "Oh, nothing much," she finally said. "Just, I was wondering...when are you going to confess to Charming?"

Holly felt the color drain from her face.

"Ch-Charming?" she stammered, her hands feeling cold and clammy as she curled them up in her lap. "What-I don't-don't be silly, I don't like Daring!"

It was a flimsy, cringe-worthy attempt at escape, and they both knew it.

"Well of course you don't," Kitty nearly purred, all but eating up the situation. She eyed Holly with a predatory stare, and the latter was immediately overcome with an overwhelming feeling of being hunted. " _You_ like his little sister."

"You can't tell anyone!" Holly burst, without thinking. Without noticing, she'd leapt to her feet, her palms flat on the table. Kitty raised an eyebrow, and Holly flushed, sitting back down. "I mean...please. Please...don't tell anyone."

"You know," Kitty mused, "we have a plethora of closet cases at EAH. But...I never got the feeling you were one of them, O'Hair."

"I'm not."

"Then why so defensive?" Kitty countered immediately, as if she'd foreseen Holly's response. "Unless you're... _afraid_?"

Holly rolled her eyes through her luminescent blush. Kitty must have been losing her touch. That kind of tactic might have worked on Lizzie Hearts, Cerise Hood or the like, but Holly wasn't a particularly competitive type, and locker room taunts wouldn't spur her into saying something she shouldn't. "I'll ask you again," she said, tiredly. Her head was beginning to hurt, both from the extended time staring at her laptop, and the prospect of the undoubtedly twisting and winding conversation Kitty would try to rope her into. "What do you _want_ , Kitty?"

Kitty tittered. "I don't _want_ anything," she said, enigmatically. "I just find you...interesting, is all."

"Why?"

In hindsight, it wasn't the most intelligent sounding response. But it was the first thing that popped into Holly's head. Why would Kitty involve herself with Holly? She was hardly one of the main sources of drama and/or angst at the school. She would have expected the cat-like girl to go after the likes of Apple or Raven before herself.

Kitty grinned, and Holly could swear she heard the faint rumblings of a purr.

"Well," Kitty began, innocently (and that was another thing Holly didn't like), "it's just...for being a writer, you're not very smart, is all. It's...amusing." She giggled.

At this, Holly felt a surge of hot anger pump straight to her heart. While goading and taunting had little to no effect on her, any insults that challenged her intelligence were the fastest way to see sweet, kind-hearted Holly O'Hair lose her shit. "And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked, trying very hard to keep her tone steady.

Kitty giggled again. "Just that, you know, you're famous here for writing about relationships, a talent which, at times, seems practically prophetic- people _do_ wonder," she began, adding in a meaningful glance at her last words. Holly rolled her eyes. Magic was Raven Queen's department, not hers. "But, I must say, you seem to be woefully lacking in self-awareness, that is to say, how _you_ are perceived by _others_. For a girl so talented at drawing out the secret desires of others, you seem absolutely hopeless at anything relating to how others feel about _you_."

 _What_? What the hex was that supposed to mean? Knowing Kitty, she was aiming for a bit of fun at Holly's expense, but...but Holly had the strangest feeling that Kitty actually _knew_ something. There was something about the gleeful expression on Kitty's face that made Holly very suspicious. If Kitty had invented something to get a rise out of her, it didn't seem likely that she'd be this happy about it. It was like she was playing harbinger, and thoroughly enjoying the fact that things were playing out the way they were without her having to make anything up at all.

"...is that all?" Holly finally asked. She knew getting anything even remotely helpful, let alone the truth, out of Kitty would be a tedious and stupidly pointless endeavor. "You just came to tell me that?"

Kitty hummed. "Just thought you should know," she said with a shrug. "It didn't seem fair with you being _entirely_ oblivious." She grinned, a true, manic thing worthy of the heiress to the Cheshire destiny. "Where would the fun be in that?"

And with those words, Kitty, giggling, faded away until only her grin lingered. In another second, that too was gone.

Holly stared at the spot where Kitty had been for a long moment. Then she let out a long, heavy sigh and collapsed back into her chair as if she were a balloon that had been deflated.

She didn't think Kitty was likely to tell anyone about her crush on Darling- that wasn't how Kitty worked. Kitty liked to set the pieces in place, then sit back and watch as the game played out.

And that's what worried her. Somehow, the fact that she knew full well that Kitty had been trying to manipulate her didn't make her feel any more confident than if she'd been an unwitting pawn. It was like the difference between being in a horrible accident with no warning, and seeing what was going to happen a split second before it did. There was no stopping it- it only meant that she would suffer twice.

Not to mention, she had absolutely no idea what Kitty was on about. She was fairly certain Kitty hadn't been alluding to Darling having any feelings for Holly, though the very thought made Holly feel like there were a thousand butterflies in her chest, all trying desperately to escape.

So what _had_ Kitty been talking about?

Sadly, it looked like she'd been right about one thing- for as perceptive as Holly was, she really had no clue when it came to matters regarding herself.

* * *

Darling Charming was not, by nature, a particularly impatient person. In fact, she tended to be quite the opposite, tying in to her beliefs in chivalry and her sweet disposition in general.

Needless to say, it was at the very least difficult to make Darling lose her patience, but Dexter seemed to be trying very hard to do just that.

It was break, and the Charming twins were relaxing in the courtyard, Darling polishing her favorite sword, Dexter fidgeting with an eraser and shifting slightly every few minutes. Finally, with a great sigh, Darling set her sword down beside her with all the gentleness of a mother handling her baby, and then turned to face her brother.

Dexter was looking straight ahead, seemingly unaware of Darling's determined gaze, until Darling took it upon herself to break him from his fidgety revere by punching him in the arm.

"YeOWCH!" Dexter yelped, his left hand shooting down to rub the sore spot. Darling rolled her eyes.

"It wasn't even that hard," she said, as Dexter glared at her with a mix of pain and betrayal. "I wouldn't have had to hit you if you hadn't been lost in self-pity."

Dexter pouted. "It still hurt," he replied, sorely. "If all your admirers saw what you're _really_ like…"

"You're my _brother_ ," Darling replied. "I've been beating you at wrestling since we were four. We had the _dragon pox_ together, for Grimm's sake- of course I'm not going to treat you like a damsel." Then her tone softened, and she reached out (Dexter shrunk back warily, but she ignored this) and laid a hand gently on his arm. "But that also means that I'm your _sister_ , and I care about you."

Dexter said nothing, but didn't shrug away the touch, either.

They sat in silence for a long moment before Darling spoke again.

"You're not going to win her back by sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself."

This, apparently, was the trigger. Dexter's hands curled into fists on his legs and he whirled his head around to face his sister, face red, either from embarrassment or anger (or a mix of the two). "That's none of your business," he retorted hotly, his temper flaring.

Darling raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it?" she asked. "Because I seem to recall having been the one to wake Apple White from her cursed sleep only a few months ago. I'd think that kind of does make it my business."

Dexter scoffed, throwing his head back in frustration as he turned to look away from her again. "You didn't do anything about it," he replied. "You told me you didn't have any feelings for her. By the way, thanks a lot for that! If you'd just talked to her about it, then maybe-"

"Then maybe I'd be dating her and Raven would never have even realized she might have feelings for Apple?" Darling cut him off, her voice light but oddly biting. "You don't want to say that, Dexter. You don't mean it."

Dexter glared at her for a long moment, then his expression softened into one of defeat. He let out a long sigh and fell back against the planter behind him. "You're right," he replied, tiredly. "I don't." He looked up again, his Adam's apple prominent as he surveyed the near cloudless sky. "I...I'm so ashamed of myself half the time," he said after a long moment. Darling merely watched him, wordlessly encouraging him to continue. "Because I _want_ to hate her. I _want_ to hate Apple. She's taking Raven away from me, and the worst part is, I'm literally _watching_ it happen and I can't do anything about it. I really...really care about Raven. It just...it just doesn't seem _fair_."

Dexter slumped slightly and allowed his head to fall into his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. "It would be easier if I could just hate her, and blame her for everything," he said, his voice muffled by his hands. "But...I...I just...I _can't_. I can't bring myself to hate her, and I feel like a horrible person for _wanting_ to."

Darling studied her brother for a long moment. "Wanting to hate the person who's threatening your relationship doesn't make you horrible, Dex," she replied, her voice gentle. "Letting the hatred and bitterness take over you would be something to be ashamed of- letting it make you a weak person would be something to be ashamed of. But wanting to hate her when you're both competing over the same girl, who you've been dating for several months and have liked for much longer? That just means you're human."

Dexter laughed weakly, humorlessly. "So at least I'm not a monster," he said, without much life. "But seriously, Darl- what kind of man does it make me to fight a girl over my girlfriend who's clearly got feelings for her? I don't want to make myself the villain in their love story, Darl. That's not the guy I want to be."

Darling felt a rush of pride for the younger of her two brothers. She loved them both dearly, of course, but she'd always felt that between the two, Dexter, despite his physical shortcomings and relative disinterest in sports, was the bigger man. "It makes you the best kind of man, Dexter," she replied, squeezing his arm, her tone emphatic, prompting him to look her in the eyes. She met his gaze head on as she continued, "Being conflicted about whether or not to let the girl that you love go does not make you _any_ less of a man. If anything, it makes you _more_ of a man because, unlike most men, you're torn because you care just as much, if not more so, about her happiness as you do your own."

"If I were a real man, I would just let her go," he said, but Darling shook her head.

"Wanting to be happy does not make you any less of a man," she replied. "Being confused about what to do because what would make her happy might make you sad does not make you any less of a prince." She paused for a moment, watching Dexter's eyes to make sure he understood. "It makes you human."

Dexter gave his sister a weak but grateful smile.

Letting go of his arm to give it a firm pat before pulling back, Darling added, "And you know I'll support you no matter what decision you make, Dex. I'll even help you. Just don't shut me out, okay?"

"Never," Dexter replied, shooting Darling a half-smile. "How could I? You never stay away."

Darling winked as she hopped to her feet and grabbed her sword, holstering it before turning back and offering Dexter her hand. He took it and let her pull him to his feet, then stretched, his bones cracking satisfyingly after having been hunched over for so long.

"So what did you think of Damsel-in-Distressing?" he asked, his tone gaining a teasing lilt as they headed back for the huge, arching doors into the school.

Darling gave a spectacular roll of her eyes in response, and he laughed, throwing an arm around her shoulder as they climbed the stairs and headed towards their next class together.

* * *

 **Alright, so that's chapter fifteen! I wanted to start bringing in a couple new characters! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about any of the other relationships- just in a story like this, everyone has to take turns in the limelight, you know!**

 **Thanks as ever for being such awesome readers and reviewers! You guys make this even more fun for me to write! Please continue to leave me reviews- I know I've said it a bunch of times but your reviews really are my biggest motivation!**


	17. Sixteen: The Calm Before the Storm

**Alright, chapter sixteen is out!**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Sixteen: The (Relative) Calm Before the Storm**

* * *

"I don't like the way he was looking at you."

Poppy's eyes fluttered shut as she gave a long-suffering sigh. Slowly, she turned to face her girlfriend. Duchess was standing before her, arms folded over her chest, giving her a steely look that held an unmistakable flame of jealousy. "Well, what do you expect me to do about it?" Poppy asked, tiredly.

It wasn't the jealousy that bothered her. In fact, loathe as she was to admit it, Poppy found Duchess even more incredibly sexy than usual when she was feeling possessive. She wore jealousy well—which was a lucky thing, since she wore it so often.

The problem was that Poppy was getting a little fed up of the accusatory glares and Duchess sniping at Poppy's friends for (seemingly) no reason. And it only took the tiniest thing to make Duchess jealous—the other day, Apple had complimented Poppy's hair and had subsequently found herself on the receiving end of a snarky comment on her current situation with Raven that had nearly brought the poor girl to tears. Of course, Duchess's biting words may not have been so venomous if it had been anyone besides Apple who had given the complement, but the situation remained.

"Tell him to back off," Duchess practically ground out, taking a step forward, her long, lithe legs bringing her within inches of Poppy in one step.

"Why?" Poppy asked, belligerently.

Duchess's eyes widened, then narrowed, flashing. "Because you're _mine_ ," she retorted, her voice little more than a hiss. Her hands slid down Poppy's back, nails scratching lightly as they went, until they found her ass. She squeezed, hard, and jerked Poppy forward, causing the redhead to all but fall into her arms. "And I don't _share_."

Poppy clenched her teeth, willing herself not to give in to the moment. They _needed_ to talk about this, and if she caved now…well, one thing she knew for certain would _not_ be happening was a talk. She forced herself to pull back against Duchess's hold until she could meet Duchess's gaze (albeit by craning her neck quite a bit, given their proximity). "And how the hell would Chase know that?" she asked, pleased with the steadiness of her tone. "We're not even public."

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing," Duchess growled lowly, her nails digging in and eliciting a high-pitched whimper from Poppy.

"And justwha _aaAT,_ " Poppy began to retort, right as Duchess dipped her head and pressed her lips firmly against her neck, "are you…on about… _now_?" With a great deal of willpower that she didn't know she had, Poppy brought her arms up between them, hands pressing against Duchess's defined collarbone, trying to push her back. But Duchess was persistent, pushing back against Poppy with even more force, pinning her against the wall, her white and lavender streaked hair tickling Poppy's chin. " _Duchess_."

Duchess pulled away from Poppy's neck with a soft 'pop' and brushed a strand of her dark hair out of her eyes, which glared up at Poppy with no small trace of annoyance.

" _What_?" she snarked, pulling back to her full height and folding her arms over her chest. Poppy instantly missed her possessive hold and hated herself for it.

"Don't you think we need to talk about this?"

Duchess scoffed.

"I'm serious," Poppy continued, grabbing Duchess's sharp chin and jerking it so that the tall ballerina was forced to look at her. "You said you needed time, and I'm fine with that. But I'm not going to put up with someone who won't even admit to being my _friend_ lashing out at the people I care about when they compliment me, or practically attacking some poor, random guy for flirting with me when, for all he knows, I'm single!" Poppy ran a hand through her hair several times in frustration, causing it to appear rather wild. "You can't tell me you don't want anyone to know about us one minute, and then bitch at people for touching me the next! You can't have it both ways, Duchess! And you know what? I'm pretty fucking tired of your attitude with _me_ when that stuff happens, too! If you're going to insist on keeping this—us—a secret, and then act like this every time someone glances my way…" She hesitated, swallowing hard and steeling her resolve. She couldn't remember ever feeling for anyone the way she felt for Duchess Swan, of all people, but…she just couldn't do this anymore. "We're done."

Poppy watched Duchess's jaw work—saw the deliberation and conflict behind her almond-colored eyes. And then, just as quickly, those same eyes went blank.

"Fine."

Poppy blinked. "Fine?" she repeated stupidly.

" _Fine_ ," Duchess snapped, shoving roughly past Poppy toward the door.

Poppy sighed, turning around, eyes following Duchess as she went. "Duchess…"

But she got no reply as Duchess yanked the door open and stormed out, nearly bulldozing a thoroughly bewildered Holly as she did so.

" _Uuuuugh_ ," Poppy moaned, pressing her fingers to her eyes and sinking down against the wall as Holly walked in slowly, head turned after Duchess in confusion. "She's _impossible_."

Holly turned to face her twin. "Well…," she began, hesitantly.

" _Don't_ say I should have seen it coming," Poppy cut her off, voice muffled by her hand.

"I wasn't going to say that," Holly replied defensively, as she set her purse gently down on the side table next to her bed. "I just…well, I guess I don't really know _what_ to say. Am I…," she paused, as if considering whether or not to say what she was about to say. "Well, am I right in thinking that the two of you are…well…together?"

Poppy laughed dryly, without a trace of humor. "Looks like you missed it by a few seconds," she replied in a deadpan.

"Wha—did you two just—"

"I don't even _know_ , dude," Poppy replied, shaking her head and pulling herself back to her feet. "But, you know, congratulations—you were right. Or your story was. Or, well, kind of. Whatever. You know what I mean."

Holly frowned. "If you're implying that I'm happy just because a pairing I wrote about went canon—"

"You aren't?"

"I—well, in a way, yes," Holly admitted, walking over to where Poppy had flopped down onto her bed and seating herself gently next to her twin. "But I don't want _this_ for you. I want you to be happy. And…that didn't look very happy just now."

Poppy rolled her eyes. "I think you're spending too much time with Apple White," she commented dryly. Then she sat up and looked her sister in the eyes. "I…it's hard to explain. In a way—in a lot of ways—I _am_ happy. Like, really, stupidly happy. I…Duchess is…she's just _incredible_. Like, she can have me incredibly turned on and so totally _furious_ at the same time, and it's just…" Poppy gestured vaguely with her arms, then let them fall into her lap. "She wouldn't go public. She asked for time, and I said okay, because what else was I going to do? But then she started getting all pissed off whenever anyone so much as looked at me, and god forbid I get flirted with…"

" _Oh_ , so _that's_ why Sparrow was walking like that!" Holly interrupted as realization dawned in her blue-green eyes.

"I actually didn't mind that one," Poppy admitted. "He was seriously getting on my nerves. But…you know, I just couldn't handle it. I don't…I mean, I know it sounds awful, but I don't _mind_ that she gets jealous easy. It's kind of…"

"Hot?" Holly supplied, helpfully.

" _Holly_!" Poppy squeaked, cheeks glowing.

Holly just rolled her eyes.

"What? It's true," she said.

"I—well, yeah, it kind of is, actually…" Poppy admitted reluctantly, her voice growing quieter in embarrassment, "But that's not the point! The point is, she doesn't want anyone else to have me, but she won't admit that she wants me either! And I just…I can't _do_ that kind of thing." Poppy sighed in defeat, all embarrassment left behind.

Holly watched her sister with sympathetic eyes. "I'm sorry, Poppy," she said quietly, reaching out a hand to squeeze her twin's shoulder. "I really don't know what to say. I…she's…well, she's—"

" _Duchess_ ," Poppy muttered, falling back onto her bed.

"Yeah," Holly replied. "Duchess."

She had a sneaking suspicion that Duchess would not back down as easily as she'd just seen. But she didn't say anything—she knew better than most that hope was a dangerous thing. For now, she would just have to sit back and watch with everyone else, even though it was hard to see her sister so defeated.

* * *

Raven Queen was in a less than ideal situation.

Well, to be honest, she considered any situation that involved someone inevitably getting hurt, be it physically or emotionally, less than ideal. Really, though, she had nothing to complain about—two incredibly attractive people were, for all intents and purposes, fighting over her. At least, where Apple was concerned. Dexter seemed to be taking a more passive approach.

As for Raven…well, to say that she was entirely unbiased would be a blatant lie. If she was honest with herself, she'd never really boxed herself into any one label when it came to her sexuality. Therefore, the idea that Apple liked her (and the subsequent notion that she herself may have held feelings for Apple) had not for one second caused her any gay panic or 'gayngst'. Rather…it was the strength of her feelings about the subject that had made her avoid Apple for so long.

Dexter…Dexter was a nice guy. He was reasonably handsome, incredibly sweet and without a shred of the macho arrogance teenage boys tended to wear like armor plating. Dexter was…safe.

But Apple…Apple was complex. She was incredibly beautiful, kind and generous, but also selfish and naïve. She and Raven had never fully seen eye-to-eye and yet…

And yet the thought of _being_ with Apple made Raven's stomach flip and her heart leap into her throat.

Dexter didn't get jealous.

Apple had never had to share so much as a hairbrush in her entire life.

Dexter was the nice guy, the boy next door.

Apple was the popular girl, the Thronecoming Queen (metaphorically speaking).

Dexter was everything Raven had ever thought she'd wanted…but now she wasn't quite so sure. Now, when he blushed and stuttered around her, it felt a little tiresome. Now, when he tried to make everything into a romantic experience, Raven found herself thirsting for something _new_. Something like an adventure—an unplanned trip to Wonderland, or a battle against evil on dragonback.

Now, Raven was starting to wonder if maybe she'd had it all wrong for all this time. In the week or so following her decision, she'd come to only one solid conclusion—she missed Apple. Desperately.

It was stupid to even voice it—she and Apple shared many of their classes, and they were roommates, for Grimm's sake! But ever since the whole thing with Apple admitting her feelings and kissing her…even now that she was openly acknowledging that _the_ Apple White had developed feelings for _her,_ Raven Queen, of all people…it felt like there was a wall between them, an invisible obstacle that was keeping the two girls at arms' length.

Raven didn't know why she felt that way—it didn't even make sense, and every time she tried to rationalize it, she ended up with a major headache.

But there was one other thing. As much as she missed Apple in a way that she couldn't explain, even with Apple right next to her…Raven didn't really miss Dexter at all. And that, she felt, was far more telling, because it was her relationship with Dexter that had really changed. There were no kisses, no dates, no sweet good-morning hexts, and yet…Raven found herself feeling, if anything, a little _relieved_.

Raven eyed her MirrorPhone on her bedside table warily before heaving a resigned sigh and picking it up. She tapped the number in on the touchpad and pressed the little green button before she could stop to think better of it.

"Hey, Dex…? I…I think we need to talk."

* * *

As much as Blondie saw herself as a reporter first and a teenage girl second, maintaining her usual level of pep and cheer was becoming increasingly difficult as her feelings for Cupid grew harder and harder to ignore. On top of everything else, she was beginning to wonder if Cupid _knew_. It had been a stupid thing to overlook, but Cupid _was_ the goddess of love, after all.

There were times when her feelings were harder to ignore than usual—when the urge to grab Cupid's sweet, pretty face and crush her lips against hers was _almost_ too much to bear. Like whenever Cupid got really excited about something, and her giddiness was positively contagious. Or when Cupid was so incredibly sweet, so _stupidly_ selfless that Blondie just _had_ to wrap her adorable BFFA up in a bear hug so tight that Cupid let out a giggling squeak.

She was just contemplating all this when a throat cleared loudly from her left, causing her to squeal rather girlishly and give a little jump.

"Um, can I help you?" she asked kindly as she turned around. Then her eyes widened in shock as she realized who she was speaking to.

Duchess Swan was standing before her, arms folded over her chest and looking as though she'd rather be anywhere else. "I don't know if _you_ can," she replied, snappishly, then appeared to school her emotions. "I need to talk to Cupid."

"Um…okay," Blondie said, hesitantly. Then, suddenly, as if a switch had been flicked, her face lit up and she sat up straight in her seat. "Wait, wait! Is this about you and—mmph!"

Blondie found her speech abruptly impeded by a hand slapped hard and uncomfortably tight against her mouth. Duchess had practically thrown herself at Blondie—indeed, the only reason they hadn't hadn't actually toppled over backwards was probably Duchess's rigorous dancing training. "Shut _up_ , halfwit!" Duchess snapped, her voice little more than a venomous hiss. Blondie's brows furrowed at the insult, but Duchess took no notice. "Grimm knows why I came to _you_ to begin with, but I couldn't find Cupid and if anyone knows where she is, unfortunately, it's _you_."

"Um…is there something I can help with?"

Both girls jumped at the sound of a third voice, and Duchess's head snapped around so fast it was a wonder she didn't get jet lag. Cupid was standing there, her lunch tray in her hands, looking down at the two girls with a mixture of skepticism and concern. It was proof of how taken aback Duchess had been by her appearance that it took the ballerina a good few seconds before she leapt away from Blondie as if she'd been burned.

Still raising an eyebrow, Cupid skirted around Duchess and sat down next to Blondie, maybe a little bit closer than she normally would have. "I believe you were looking for me, Duchess?" she asked, sweetly, though her voice was just a trace colder than usual as her fingers found Blondie's and laced between them.

Blondie, already in a state of mild shock from Duchess's sudden assault, felt her heart speed up dangerously in her chest. She knew she shouldn't allow herself hope—Cupid was, by nature, protective of her friends, and her behavior wasn't anything overtly romantic—but just the idea of Cupid feeling protective over her was enough to send her head into the stratosphere.

Duchess, who had also noticed this exchange and Blondie's subsequent love struck expression, rolled her eyes rather impressively. It couldn't be more obvious that she really couldn't care less about another potentially scandalous romantic tangle. "I wasn't doing anything to her, just so you know," she said, nodding in Blondie's direction. "It's just that your blabbermouth friend here," she directed a frosty look at Blondie, who flushed, "was about to run her mouth loud enough for the entire school to hear my little…problem."

Cupid gave a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and Blondie felt the fingers threaded through hers tighten. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about my best friend," Blondie felt an entirely unbidden pang in her chest, "like that, even if she would have done better to have lowered her voice." Cupid's tone was as sweet as ever, but there was a frosty firmness behind her words that dared Duchess to defy her.

Duchess scoffed. Under any other circumstances, she wouldn't have put up with being talked down to like that, but this was urgent. If she was going to fix everything, she needed Cupid in a giving mood, not pissed off and overprotective of her ditzy friend. "Okay, whatever," she said, waving a hand. "That's not even what I need to talk about."

Cupid raised her eyebrows. "So what _do_ you need to talk about?"

Duchess pursed her lips and gave the castleteria a wary glance. "In private," she said, shortly, before turning abruptly on her heel and stalking toward the double doors to the main hallway.

For a long moment, Blondie and Cupid sat, the former staring after Duchess in lingering shock, the latter, patiently crossing her legs and watching mildly after the ballerina.

Duchess came to an abrupt halt when she reached the doors, and was still for a long moment, her body visibly tense even from across the castleteria. Then she pivoted purposefully on her heel and gave the two a meaningful glare. "Come _on_ ," she snapped. Then, after a moment, significantly more quietly and with a good deal of difficulty, " _Please_."

Cupid gave a cheery smile and got gracefully to her feet, taking Blondie with her, as their hands were still intertwined. As she followed, zombie-like in her BFFA's wake, Blondie wondered vaguely if Cupid harbored a secret dark side. But then Cupid turned to her and shot her an adorable smile, squeezing her hand again, and Blondie's brain promptly turned to mush.

* * *

 **Okay, chapter sixteen has left the building! Methinks we're finally getting somewhere! Sorry it took a while—it's been a rough week, to say the least. But thank you for your patience and your encouraging words, especially in response to my last chapter!  
**

 **Also, I am planning a metafic for the next chapter, don't worry! Or, that is to say, I'm planning to write one for the next chapter. You know, kinda Christmas themed? If you have any ideas for pairings/prompt, feel free to let me know! As you've probably noticed, I'm not too great with super awesome one-shot prompts myself xP**

 **Please leave a review before you go!**


	18. Seventeen: All I Wanna Get Is

**Here's chapter seventeen- thank you so much for all your reviews, and I am so, so, so sorry for the wait! Please read the author's note at the end for more details! For now, please enjoy and remember to review!**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Seventeen: All I Wanna Get Is (A Little Bit Closer)**

* * *

Briar Beauty was in a bit of a fix.

If, you know, 'being in a bit of a fix' was code for 'completely and utterly fucked up the ass with sandpaper'.

It turned out that she kind of liked Holly O'Hair. Like, _like-liked_. Holly O'Hair. Who was so head-over-heels for Darling Charming that she could barely stay conscious when presented with said girl sweaty from her daily workout routine.

" _Ha_! I can't fucking _believe_ this! Oh, I so totally _called_ this shit!"

Oh. And Faybelle knew.

The fairy had figured it out with very little effort—having known Briar since diaper days, she noticed fairly quickly that Briar was not her usual, laid-back, party-hard self these days. It had taken her even less time after that to notice that recently, Briar had been going above and beyond for one (painfully clueless) Holly O'Hair.

"Thanks, Faybelle. Your sympathy really gets me right _here_." Briar patted her chest mockingly. Faybelle's taunting and gloating had been going on for a good half-hour, and more than anything, she was just bored of it.

"What do you want from me? Daughter of the Evil Fairy, remember?" Faybelle replied, pointing to herself. Then, in a sing-song voice, "Briar and Holly, sittin' in a tree~"

Briar sighed and rolled her eyes. If she were perfectly honest, she was kind of glad that Faybelle knew, even if she _was_ being a royal dickweed about it. As bitchy and nasty as Faybelle sometimes acted, Briar knew Faybelle's deepest secret—that perhaps she wasn't quite as evil as she liked to make everyone believe. After knowing her for so long, Briar knew that Faybelle actually had quite a strong conscience. It's just that it was a little… _different_ than most people's. Faybelle would (and had attempted to) sell her friends out to get herself out of a sticky situation in a heartbeat, but Briar knew that Faybelle would never even contemplate leaking Briar's 'problem' to the rest of the school, however much joy she took from taunting Briar over it.

"But seriously though, I thought you'd have better taste, BriBri," Faybelle said, floating down to sit on the window ledge, facing Briar with a bored expression. "Holly O'Hair? I mean, how _vanilla_."

"You finished?" Briar asked. "I don't think I'm gonna take that last comment to heart, considering the source. You'd call anyone vanilla if they weren't actively trying to sabotage someone else's life."

Faybelle stretched, rolling her neck and twisting her fingers together as she raised her arms over her head. "Not true," she replied without any real argument in her voice. "You're not vanilla, BriBri."

Briar raised her eyebrows. "Careful, Faybelle, that could almost have been considered a compliment by someone who didn't know you better."

Faybelle rolled her eyes mildly. "Well then it's a good thing you do _know me better_ , isn't it?" she replied, pushing out of the chair. She stayed aloft, wings fluttering busily as she darted restlessly around the room, starting to snoop out of what Briar assumed was a mixture of habit and boredom. For a moment, Briar just watched her. Faybelle's wings, her movements—they had always reminded Briar of a dragonfly, with the fast beats of her wings and the haphazard zipping around, changing direction in a way that was almost reminiscent of a glitching computer program. But when you watched for long enough, you realized that it was exactly the opposite of that—Faybelle's movements were so incredibly precise, so perfectly balanced that they only appeared random and sloppy to people who weren't watching closely enough.

"Stop staring at me."

Briar raised her gaze to find Faybelle glaring suspiciously at her. "What for?" Briar asked, not bothering to deny the claim.

"I don't want you dyking out on me too," Faybelle responded without missing a beat. Briar just rolled her eyes, not even for a moment insulted by the fairy's words. "Last thing I need is you following after me like a lovesick puppy the way you do O'Hair."

"I do not follow after her like a lovesick puppy," Briar shot back, leaping onto the bait before she could stop herself. Briar Beauty followed after _no one_ , much less so like a lovesick puppy! "I just…watch out for her, that's all. She gets into kind of a lot of trouble for a writer."

"So I noticed," Faybelle replied blandly. "She and that rebel twin of hers. Fucking Duchess has been fucking annoying as shit recently. I just wanna shove their fucking heads together so they can fucking tongue it out."

"Tell me how you really feel, though," Briar commented dryly.

Faybelle shot Briar a narrow-eyed glare. "I'm serious," she replied, shooting back to the desk in front of Briar. "I know the whole 'opposites attract' thing, or whatever, but if she's not being all disgusting, gag-me-with-a-spoon lovesick, she's stomping around, ranting about how some lowlife scumbag looked at O'Hair's ass in Grimmnastics." She made a face, wrinkling her nose. "It's sickening."

"That does sound like Duchess," Briar replied. "And you," she added. "Isn't she supposed to be your friend or something?"

Faybelle rolled her eyes. "It doesn't mean I want to hear about all her bullshit love problems," she retorted. "Like, gag me with a spoon, you know?"

Briar smiled wryly. "At least you're consistent." Then she sighed and stood up. "I don't know why I came to you in the first place."

"Again," Faybelle added, helpfully.

"Oh yeah, I remember- it had something to do with an 'anonymous' note threatening to broadcast my 'deepest secret' to all of Ever Afer if I didn't come here after school," Briar recalled, ironically. "I wonder who was behind _that_."

Faybelle shrugged, entirely unconcerned with being caught and confronted about her blackmailing. "I can't be seen in _public_ with you," she replied.

"Like this even qualifies as a 'deep secret'," Briar retorted dryly. "It's barely even a crush."

"And yet…," Faybelle began, gesturing to Briar with her MirrorPhone, "here you are."

Briar scoffed. She'd never admit it, but despite (or, perhaps, a small, insignificant part of her whispered, _because_ ) knowing the perpetrator was Faybelle and knowing Faybelle would get no pleasure from _just_ divulging her secret without a fight, part of her had really just wanted to talk it out. To make the situation a little less looming in her eyes. Not that she'd ever say it. Briar Beauty didn't get intimidated by anything, much less a stupid little crush.

"Are you going to tell?" Briar asked, after a moment, burgundy-tinted mocha gaze leveled in a deceptively bored manner at Faybelle.

Faybelle pulled a thoughtful expression, pursing her lips and wrinkling her nose. Briar really wanted to laugh at the face her arch-enemy was pulling, but managed to hold back. She really _didn't_ particularly _want_ Faybelle to blab.

"I _suppose_ I could hold my tongue," Faybelle mused, at length. "For a price, of course."

Briar raised an eyebrow. "That's a bit more Rumplestiltskin-esque than I'd expected," she noted. "Not really your style."

Faybelle glared. "Yeah, well, I'm changing things up," she said shortly. "Be my servant."

"No."

Faybelle's expression fell almost comically, and Briar couldn't hold back a snort of laughter.

"What, did you really expect me to _agree_ to that?" she asked, disbelief clear in her voice. "I didn't hurt your feelings, did I?" she added in a mocking tone, though beneath it lay a trace of true curiosity. What exactly had Faybelle had planned?

"Wh- _no_!" Faybelle snapped, almost petulantly, her cheeks coloring a darker shade of blue than usual. "Of course not!" She huffed, suddenly unable to look Briar in the eye. Then she shook back her hair and seemed to somewhat regain control of her emotions. " _Anyway_! If you won't be my servant, I'll go to Blondie tomorrow." This was accompanied by a sneer that may have caused Briar to hesitate, were she not so used to Faybelle's particular brand of villainy.

"Be my guest," Briar replied, waving dismissively. Faybelle stiffened, and Briar held back a smug smile. For Faybelle, the fun, at least when it came to Briar, was in getting a rise out of her. Take that away, and it was as dull as Chemythstry for the Fae. "Besides," she added, with a stroke of inspiration, "I think she's going to be busy for a while. I saw your 'friend' going up to her and Cupid yesterday at lunch."

Faybelle's eyes widened and she sat up straight, almost childlike in her excitement. "What?" she asked, insistently. "Duchess? She's going to- _oh_ , this is gonna be-" she stopped abruptly, eyes narrowing. She whipped around to face Briar, who was looking innocently amused, watching Faybelle's reaction. "You're not getting off that easy."

"I'm not getting off at all," Briar drawled. "That's kind of the whole reason I'm here, isn't it?" She raised her eyebrows suggestively.

Faybelle actually flushed again, and Briar added it to her mental roster. As much as Faybelle loved getting a rise out of her, Briar loved dishing it right back at the fairy. "Just- just watch yourself, BriBri," Faybelle managed to snap. "You better not piss me off or you know what'll happen." Her wings buzzed angrily for a moment, then she dropped to the floor and stomped out of the room- for added effect, Briar assumed.

The tall brunette sighed and massaged her temples. She wasn't worried about Faybelle- she was sure she'd know long before she did anything that she was planning something. But this whole 'crush' thing...it really was tiresome.

In the hallway, Faybelle was fuming, her wings still buzzing with emotion as she stomped toward the room she shared with 'that insufferable rabbit'.

 _Fuck_ Briar! Why hadn't she been affected by Faybelle's threats? Why didn't she care if the whole school found out about her ridiculous crush on her precious O'Hair? Why did she have a crush on Holly O'Hair (of all people!) in the _first_ place?

And _why_ was Faybelle so pissed off?

* * *

"Holly?"

For once, it seemed, Holly was not startled by someone yelling at her from behind. The newcomer had spoken in a soft, gentle voice, clearly trying _not_ to startle her—she supposed she looked rather busy, scribbling fanfiction ideas in the notebook she had reserved for classwork. She blinked, glanced up, barely raising her head from her work…

And then gave a small squeak and nearly fell over backwards anyway when her eyes met with pure, sky-blue.

"Oh, dear—are you alright?"

And now soft, platinum blonde locks, mixed with just the tracest amount of baby blue, were falling directly into her field of vision as Darling came perilously close, leaning over the table as if to inspect Holly for a concussion.

"Fine!" Holly squeaked, then cleared her throat. "I'm fine."

Darling's lips broke into a small, hesitant smile, and she pulled back slightly, allowing Holly some breathing room. "I'm truly sorry to have startled you," the blonde began, and she looked it.

Holly just waved off her apology. "No, it wasn't you," she said, then gestured to her notebook. "I just get…caught up. A lot." She giggled nervously, and Darling's small smile morphed into a wide grin.

"I've noticed," she said. Then she gestured to the seat across from Holly. "May I?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes!"

Holly pulled some of her things toward her already crowded side of the table to make room for the other girl. "So, um…" Holly floundered for a minute, completely out of her depth. She was no Briar—for Holly, being near her crush meant perpetual awkwardness and embarrassment on her part. "Um…oh, right! Um, what did you need from me? I mean! Not that you can't just talk to me, but…well, you sounded like you wanted something?" She felt herself burning up in embarrassment.

Darling, ever the gentle(wo)man, merely smiled kindly and ignored Holly's fumbling. "I do, actually," she said. Then she scooted her chair closer and leaned in, in a conspiratorial manner. "Dexter is a bit…well, a bit broken up over the whole 'Rapple' thing," she said in a hushed tone. "And I'm not one to pry, but he _is_ my brother, and he _has_ liked her for a very long time."

Holly nodded slowly, not entirely sure where this was going, but all too aware of Darling's perfume, a sweet scent she couldn't quite place. "So…you want me to write about Raven and Dexter."

Darling shook her head. "No," she said, without hesitation. "No, I personally think that Raven and Apple are perfectly suited for each other. But…perhaps it would help if Dexter were to realize that he has other options?"

Holly's mouth opened in understanding. "Oh," she said. "Oh! So, like, you want me to write about him with someone else?"

Darling gave a winning smile that set Holly's heart fluttering once more. "Exactly," she said. Then a slight shadow fell over her eyes. "I do hate to see him so upset."

Holly gave a small smile of understanding. "I get it," she said, quietly. "My sister and…" She cut herself off, not wanting to spill the beans on Poppy and Duchess. "Well, my sister has been upset over somebody for a while, too. I wish I could do something to help her, but somehow I don't think a story will do the trick." She hesitated. "Again."

Darling giggled and, before Holly could prepare herself, had reached across the table to take her hand, squeezing gently. "Don't worry too much," she said with a smile. "If I know Duchess, she isn't going to give up that easily."

"Oh, yeah, I thought probably…wait! How did you—" Holly sat up straight, eyes wide in shock and horror. The whole reason Poppy and Duchess were fighting was that Duchess didn't want anyone to know, and now…

"It's okay, Holly," Darling said, cutting off Holly's increasingly apoplectic thoughts. "I already knew. Duchess isn't a very subtle person."

Holly let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. "Oh, right," she said. "No, she really isn't. That's what they were fighting over, actually…"

Darling gave a sympathetic smile. "Well, just give it a little time," she said, giving Holly's hand another squeeze. Holly flushed—she hadn't realized Darling was still holding it. "Most of the time, these things sort themselves out. I wouldn't even ask you to write something for Dexter, but…," she grimaced, her pretty features contorting but rendering her no less attractive, unfortunately for Holly, "Well, as I said. He's taking it a bit hard…on himself, mostly."

Holly nodded slowly, forcing herself to think despite being so close to Darling. "Okay," she said, slowly. "How about…" She hated to do it, she knew at least one person who would be devastated if this story had the...well, the _effect_ her other stories seemed to be having on their protagonists. But at the same time...this was _Darling_! Darling, coming to _her_ , all charming smiles and sweet voice, just wanting to help her brother who was, admittedly, probably having a really rough time of it. _Sorry, Blondie_ , she thought, cringing on the inside, _but as you didn't want to be written about..._

"How about Cupid?"

* * *

 **Magic and Mistletoe**

 _Christmas_.

Colorful lights, evergreen trees, presents all wrapped up in sparkling paper, and warm, happy feelings abound...

It was Dexter's favorite time of the year.

At least, it had been, up until this year.

And the ironic bit was that it had been shaping up to be his best ever. For the first time, he had a _girlfriend_ \- a beautiful, kind, intelligent girlfriend that he _really_ liked, on top of it! That meant hand-holding, kisses in the snow, her body, slightly dwarfed inside his coat…

And then, out of nowhere, she had been stolen from him.

By a girl.

By _Apple White_ , of all people, of all _girls_ \- the prettiest, most popular girl in school, first in line to become Snow White, last in Dexter's mind to be seen as his competition for Raven Queen's heart.

It was just…

It wasn't _fair_.

Just...it would have been bad enough if it had been by a jock, like his brother, Daring. He did, at least, have the advantage of being more intelligent, something he knew Raven preferred in a date. It would have been bad enough if it was _any_ other boy, because Dexter, at least, knew Raven better, treated her better.

But _Apple White_?

Smart, beautiful Apple White, who had gone out of her way to force herself into Raven's life, whether she liked it or not, from the beginning, despite the fact that they were destined enemies? Kind, outgoing Apple White, who clung to attention- and touch-shy Raven like they'd been superglued together without ever hearing even a peep of objection despite Raven's obvious embarrassment (it had taken Dexter _two weeks_ to get her to stop instinctively shying away whenever he went for her _hand_ )? Royal, naive, stubborn _Apple White_ , who had changed so much just to remain by Raven's side through thick and thin as her best friend (though, he thought bitterly, that clearly hadn't been enough)? Dexter was smart. Apple was smarter. Dexter knew Raven. Apple knew her better. Raven loved Dexter. Raven loved Apple...more, in a different way, he had no idea, just that in some way, shape or form, Raven's love for Apple trumped her love for him.

How was that _fair_?

How was he supposed compete with _that_?

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Dexter blinked and looked up, only to be met with a pair of sky-blue eyes. His heart took a dangerous leap moment before thudding heavily back into place, sending a wave of relief pulsing through him. Those large, flowing curls weren't blonde. That sweet, concerned smile was pearly pink, not ruby red. He wasn't quite sure he was ready to accept Apple's consolation and pity, however heartfelt they were sure to be, given the circumstances.

"Cupid," he said, half-sighing the young love goddess's name. He managed a weak, close-lipped smile. "You startled me."

"I could tell," Cupid said, her smile growing sympathetic as she took a cup of punch from a nearby table and rested her back gently against the wall beside him. For a moment, the two stood in silence, looking out over the room. The Christmas party in the common room (all arranged by Briar, Cupid and Hopper- aka Team Pink, dubbed by Briar) was in full swing. Couples were dancing to revitalized versions of classic Christmas songs, or lip-locked in cozy armchairs.

One particular armchair, which Dexter had been studiously avoiding in his surveillance of the room, contained the very pair that had been occupying the majority of his thoughts. Now, unbidden, reflexively, his gaze found them again, and, as if his eyes were somehow wired to his heart, a painful pang jabbed at his chest, sharp enough that his fingers twitched, wanting to grab at and ease the stinging.

Apple was sitting in sideways Raven's lap, legs curled against the arm of the chair, a soft, pudgy arm wrapped effortlessly over Raven's shoulder, drawing Raven closer to her as her lips moved almost imperceptibly against her neck. Oddly, it wasn't this that hurt Dexter so much as the shy, half smile that appeared on Raven's lips as a result of these whispered words.

"Why do I keep looking at them?" he asked aloud, not really meaning to.

Beside him, Cupid turned her own gaze to the couple, not needing prompting on which pair he was referring to. "Well," she said after a moment, "when you care very much for someone for a very long time, don't you find that your eyes just automatically go to them?"

Unbeknownst to Dexter, Cupid's gaze fluttered back to the him, resting on his profile while he looked on at Raven and Apple. A small, pained smile formed on her lips, but by the time he finally refocused on her, not even a trace of it remained.

"I...yeah, I guess I do," he said after a moment. "I have. For a long time, actually. I guess now it's just...habit."

Cupid smiled at him in understanding, and he actually made a valiant attempt at smiling back. The end result made him look rather constipated, but Cupid accepted it without a word all the same. Then she turned back to the room at large.

"And don't you think, also," she added, somewhat hesitantly, after a long moment, "that it's human nature to want to look at beautiful things?"

He knew from the inflection in her voice that she wasn't referring to Raven alone. She was talking about the two of them, as a couple, and she thought he might be upset by it. For a long moment, he waited for his chest to fill with the sick, bitter, swirling feeling that it had been whenever he thought about him...but to his surprise, all he got was a slight ache somewhere in the vicinity of his heart. It didn't take him long to realize why.

"You're right," he said, voice breaking slightly. His eyes burned, but remained blessedly dry.

Cupid's expression changed, and, to his immense surprise (and slight fear), a tear welled up in the corner of her eye. "Cupid?" he asked, voice tinged with alarm. "Are you okay?"

She gave a soft laugh, and wiped gently at her eye with the back of a finger. "Yes, I'm fine," she replied, smiling up at him. "You're an incredible person, Dexter Charming. For as long as I've been alive-and that is a _bit_ longer than you or anybody else here-" she waved away his confusion, "I have met very few humans quite as beautiful as you."

Dexter felt his face grow hot. Whether it was from the compliment or from being called 'beautiful' of all things, though, he wasn't sure. "Um...thanks, I guess," he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Cupid giggled. "Sorry, I should have put that differently, shouldn't I?"

Dexter shrugged. "I don't see why," he said. "If you mean something, if you...if you _feel_ something," his eyes once again strayed involuntarily to the pair in the armchair, "it doesn't matter how you put it into words. Words aren't going to change how someone feels. Or how they...or who they…"

To his horror, he felt a lump forming in his throat, a sign which, nine times out of ten, meant that tears were imminent. Or that he was going to throw up. At this point, he wasn't quite sure which was coming.

"Dex…"

Quite suddenly, he felt a cool hand caress the nape of his neck, felt himself being pulled forward and down, felt a half second of warmth dust over his lips…

He melted into the kiss, his arms, hesitant at first, then tight, desperate, wrapping around the warm body pressing against his as a pair of slender arms encircled his neck. He felt the burning behind his eyes lessen, and he slowly opened them to find himself staring down at Cupid, whose eyes fluttered slowly open as their lips parted. He could see the subtle glitter in her deep pink eyeshadow, count each long, pink-coated lash- he could even see a small drop of moisture on her cheek, which he was embarrassed to suspect wasn't hers, given the slight dampness he felt when he blinked.

"I…" he began, struggling for a segway.

Cupid smiled, and for the first time, Dexter was struck by how beautiful she was. Had he really never noticed before? Raven had always been the only girl on his mind. She pointed to something above them, and he tilted his head obediently.

"Mistletoe? But I wasn't…," he began. Then he remembered the sensation being pulled forward (though really, it was more like he'd been gently guided) just before their lips had met. He looked down at Cupid, questioningly.

"Sometimes…," Cupid began, biting her lower lip and flushing slightly, "we need a little push in the right direction before we can see what's right in front of us." Her eyes fluttered down, away from his gaze, and she patted his chest. "Get out there," she said, gesturing to the common room at large. "Go have some fun. It's Christmas." Bringing her gaze back to his, she gave him a sweet smile and a small, coy wave before slipping back into the thick of the party herself.

Dexter blinked dumbly, his fingers rising, unbidden, to his lips, which felt hotter than normal.

 **PGBR**

Across the room, from large, overstuffed armchair, two sets of eyes watched Dexter's reaction nervously.

"Do you think...maybe…," Raven began, nervously, "do you think he likes Cupid?"

"Well, from where I'm sitting," Apple replied, squeezing Raven's thigh and giggling when she got a squeak in return, "it certainly doesn't look like he's opposed to the idea. And I know Cupid's had a thing for Dexter for a long time." Then she turned her gaze to her dark-haired girlfriend, taking on a suspicious expression. "You better be concerned over this for his happiness," she said in a playfully warning voice, her expression coloring with (mostly) fake jealousy.

Raven rolled her eyes, but her cheeks flushed darkly anyway, and she peeled her eyes away from Dexter before he could catch her looking. "Of course," she replied, tugging gently at one of Apple's voluminous curls. "How could I want anyone else when I've got the fairest of them all?" The blonde trilled in delight and pulled Raven into a long, purposeful kiss, which subsequently erased all other thought from the Raven's mind as she melted into her girlfriend's embrace.

* * *

 **So sorry for the wait! I've been really stressed out because I'm set to start a business of my own (just a pet sitting thing) at the beginning of January and I tend to be unproductive when I'm stressed out. So I'm sorry, this sort-of Christmas update is a day (almost two) late D: But thank you for your patience, and I will definitely try my best to be more frequent! It should be no problem- the delay was also due in part to my laptop effectively breaking, and me having to figure out Google Docs and write this between the two computers and recover it from the broken one, etcetera...but my new laptop should arrive tomorrow! So if all goes well, I won't have that issue anymore!**

 **Also, don't worry, I will get to Raven's decision and Duchess's going to Cupid! It just didn't seem to fit in this chapter! Thanks again for all your support, and I hope you continue to read and enjoy! :D**

 **As ever, please leave a review before you go :D**


	19. Eighteen: Heartbeat, Heartbreak, Repeat

**Sorry for another long-ish wait, guys. At this point it's a combination of writer's block and a lot more stuff going on in my life than before. But this fic is still as alive as ever, I promise! Thank you all for your patience and your awesome reviews! I don't think I'd still be writing without the support of my awesome reviewers!**

* * *

 **Holly O'Hair's Fanfiction Diary**

 **Eighteen: Heartbeat, Heartbreak, Repeat  
**

* * *

"…Raven? Are you okay?"

Raven took a deep, steadying breath. It was incredible, how nervous she felt despite the fact that she all but knew the outcome of this moment. But she never had been fond of putting herself out there—of leaving herself vulnerable and open, at someone else's mercy.

"Apple," she said, looking up and smiling in spite of herself as the blonde dropped her apple-shaped purse on her bed, all the while watching her with concern evident in her eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Apple asked, moving hesitantly to Raven's bed. In the time span post-dating her makeshift confession, despite Apple's continued closeness, she had exhibited a certain amount of restraint, though it had taken Raven a while to notice it for what it was. "You look…worried," she finished, clasping her hands in front of her and looking down at Raven, lower lip caught between her teeth.

Raven smiled wryly and shook her head. "Not worried," she corrected. "Just…thoughtful. Apple…," she paused, as if searching for words, then, slowly, as if measuring each syllable, continued, "Apple, I…I've never even looked at another girl in a romantic light."

In a fraction of a second, Apple's face fell from worried to absolutely devastated, though she tried valiantly to pull it back to somewhere in between as she replied, feebly, "O-oh?"

Raven, realizing her mistake, went wide-eyed and quickly tried to correct the misunderstanding. "I-I mean," she began, frantically waving her hands in front of her, "I mean, I never did before!" She sunk back onto her bed and gave a long sigh, running her hands through her hair in frustration. "I didn't mean…"

"It's okay, Raven," Apple said, kindly, though she still looked to be on the verge of tears. "I understand. I mean, you and Dexter have been… _together_ ," it clearly pained her to say this, "for a long time. I mean, not _that_ long, or anything…but! But I want you to be happy, Raven." At this, Apple donned a genuine, if heartbreaking, smile. "I just…I really wanted it to be with me."

"Oh, Apple," Raven moaned, raising her face from her hands and meeting Apple's watery eyes. "Grimm, how are you so…so _nice_?" Apple managed a feeble smile and a small, modest shrug.

After what seemed like a very long moment of the two girls both trying desperately to maintain eye contact and look away all at once, Raven's brain finally kicked in.

"Wait, no!" she practically shouted, leaping to her feet and startling Apple, if the squeak the blonde gave was anything to go by. "No, Apple," Raven reached down and grabbed Apple's soft hands in her own pale ones, squeezing, eliciting a pretty blush from her roommate, "it's not like that at _all_. I didn't—I don't want to talk to you because I want to choose him, I—" Raven groaned, frustrated with her own inability to make her words come out right, "I mean, I need to talk to you because I'm _not_ choosing him, Apple."

A heavy sigh followed this statement, and Raven's tense body appeared to deflate in visible relief at having finally gotten the words to come out properly. Now, violet eyes flickered to sky blue, imploringly, waiting for a response.

For her part, Apple appeared to have been, for the first time in her life, rendered legitimately speechless. Her eyes were wide with shock and still pink-tinged with old, unshed tears as she stared into Raven's, seemingly unable to break the gaze.

"…Apple?"

Raven ducked her head slightly to try to better read Apple's expression. The blonde's ongoing lack of response was starting to make an already awkward moment downright nerve wracking for Raven. A small, sniveling voice in the back of her head began to give voice to the thoughts she'd been trying desperately to push down.

 _What if she doesn't want you anymore?_

 _What if she never really wanted you in the first place?_

 _What if this was just another one of Apple's phases?_

Just as Raven was about to cave in to her better judgement and backtrack like there was no tomorrow, Apple let out a sound somewhere between a squeal and a sob, and all but threw herself at Raven, arms locking around her neck. Caught off guard, Raven stumbled, and the two girls fell backwards onto her violet-accented comforter. In a state of mild shock from so much emotional turmoil in so small a period of time, it was all Raven could do to lift her arm and run her fingers comfortingly through Apple's soft, immaculately curled hair as Apple sobbed into her chest.

After quite a bit of unintelligible blubbering, Apple's speech began to resemble something at least partially intelligible.

"I—I thought I was going to lose you!" she wailed into Raven's neck.

Raven blinked several times, breaking out of her shock to look down at Apple in mild disbelief. "Why would that ever happen?" she asked, truly bewildered.

She felt Apple shake her head. "I thought—if you chose him…" Apple took a deep, shuddering breath, and then, with what seemed to be a great deal of effort, raised her head so that her watery gaze was level with Raven's confused one. "I didn't know if I could bear just sitting there and watching you two fall—fall in…" She broke off. Apparently the thought of Raven falling in love with Dexter Charming was more than she could stomach. "Oh, Raven, I know I said I'd be there no matter what, and I would—for you, anything—but oh, Grimm, Raven, watching you with him was _hexcrutiating_." She punctuated this statement by squeezing one of Raven's hands tightly between both of her own, gazing into Raven's eyes with such genuine honesty and vulnerability that it made Raven's heart ache.

Raven was unable to suppress the fond smile that curved her lips as she rolled her eyes playfully. "Don't you think that's just a bit of an exaggeration?" she asked.

"When have I ever exaggerated?" Apple pouted. But her cherry red lips had curled into a reluctant smile, and the whole room seemed to brighten.

Raven blinked—had Apple always had that effect? Had she really been so blind? But then again, Apple was always so happy, so genuinely kind and tried so hard to stay that way…it was only natural that Raven hadn't noticed how dark the world seemed to get without that impossibly beautiful smile.

As if on cue, Apple's brows furrowed. "You…you've told Dexter?" she asked, voice significantly smaller than usual. "That…you…well…" She flushed, uncharacteristically bashful.

"Of course," Raven replied with a small smile, tucking a stray lock of platinum blonde hair behind Apple's ear.

Apple raised her head and positively _beamed_ at Raven, so much so that, for a moment, Raven was afraid that looking at her might make her go blind. "Good," Apple stated in a much more confident tone, slipping her arm around Raven's waist. Raven, suddenly realizing just how close they were—Apple was very nearly straddling her lap—flushed a dark maroon. Apple giggled and pressed a warm, firm kiss to her cheek. "I'd hate to have to break it to him," she added, in a tone that suggested she wouldn't hate it at all, "although I think we may still need to have a little talk…"

" _Apple_ …." Raven moaned, burying her ever-reddening face in the blonde's curls and feeling, more than hearing, Apple's giggle in reply. "Be nice." She felt Apple's body convulse slightly in an unmistakable huff. "Apple…"

" _Fine_ ," Apple relented, sounding reluctant. "But he'd better not try anything."

Raven rolled her eyes, pulling back slightly to look Apple in the eye. "Please, he's Dexter," she said blandly. "When has he ever done anything like that?"

Apple's lips pursed and her gaze flickered to focus on some point off to Raven's right.

"Apple…?"

"I just don't want him to steal you away from me," the blonde said quietly, her grip tightening around Raven's waist.

Raven felt her heart leap dangerously, and she found herself almost involuntarily leaning forward, tilting her head to accept another deep, loving kiss. When the two girls pulled apart again, Raven lifted the hand that wasn't supporting Apple in her lap to caress the blonde's cheek. "Kind of like how you stole me from him?" she asked playfully.

Apple flushed and mumbled something incoherent under her breath.

Raven giggled before leaning in and pressing a shy kiss to Apple's cheek. "Nobody's going to 'steal me away', Apple," she said gently, her voice serious this time. "I mean…" she flushed, almost to the tips of her ears, "to be honest, I feel like you kind of had me in at least some way to begin with."

There was that dazzling smile again—Raven was going to have to get used to that.

 _Somehow_ , she thought as Apple wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her into another long kiss, her lips curling against Raven's, _she'd manage_.

* * *

On the other end of the school, things were going so _not_ just right.

Right after the spark of hope Blondie had felt due to Cupid's protectiveness, Holly O'Hair had posted her most recent fanfiction, starring none other than Cupid herself…and Dexter Charming.

It wasn't as if she were upset with Holly—how could she be? Holly was only doing what she did best. Holly was only writing what she saw around her. And that, Blondie thought, was what was the most devastating realization of all about the whole situation.

Blondie Lockes was not the type of girl to give up. Not on a story, not on her friends, not on a girl…not anything. It wasn't in her nature. But…but even Blondie knew that there was always a 'too far'. And if Cupid was truly meant to be with Dexter…well then, pursuing her anyway, getting in the way of their—she nearly gagged—burgeoning relationship…well, that was going 'too far' in Blondie's book.

No matter how sick it made Blondie feel.

No matter how adorable Cupid was when she smiled.

No matter that Blondie was starting to question whether she could actually be in _love_ with her best friend (and nothing more) forever after.

Blondie sniffed. At least Cupid was too preoccupied to notice her current state. Duchess had essentially banished Blondie from her own dorm room so that she could go over some plan with Cupid in private, and while Cupid had looked ready to speak out on Blondie's behalf, the blonde had pasted on her sweetest smile and left quite willingly. Blondie didn't particularly care for Duchess's pushing her around, but she wasn't too proud to accept an escape route when she saw one.

Currently she was sitting on a stone bench in the school courtyard, staring down at her feet as they kicked aimlessly at the ground.

Had she _really_ thought _she_ —Blondie Lockes, not even true royalty—stood a chance with the daughter of Eros himself? Even if Cupid _was_ adopted, everything from her personality to her insight on matters of the heart, to her cotton-candy pink hair made it clear that she was meant for the role of Goddess of Love. And Blondie was…well, Blondie. Just bubbly, hard-working, perfectionist Blondie.

And if Holly O'Hair thought that Cupid belonged with Dexter…well, who was Blondie to judge? Holly hadn't been wrong yet.

Blondie gave a long, miserable sigh and fell, defeated, against the cold, hard back of the bench, her gaze, unseeing, finding the lush forest far off in the distance.

There would be others. Surely Cupid wasn't her end-all, be-all, right? She was only in high school, after all. Of course, the fact that the majority of Ever After was filled to bursting with fairy tales who'd met their Happily Ever Afters™ in high school wasn't exactly _comforting_ , but…

"Something got you down?"

Blondie blinked and looked around, only to find a pair of sweet blue eyes staring back at her.

"Daring?" she asked, temporarily forgetting to feel sorry for herself in her surprise. What was Daring Charming doing showing any kind of concern for someone other than himself? And moreover, how had she not noticed how pretty his eyes were before now? It was mildly unsettling. "What are you doing out here?"

Daring shrugged noncommittedly, and Blondie made a mental note to do a little snoop— _research_ on him later, but said nothing, waiting for him to talk. After a long period of semi-awkward silence, he spoke. "I just happened to be passing by," he said, vaguely, "when I noticed you sitting here looking so upset. And what kind of prince would I be if I passed by a damsel so clearly in distress?"

Despite her current mood, Blondie had to fight to keep from rolling her eyes. "Don't worry, Daring, I'm not in distress," she said. "I just can't be in my dorm right now, Cupid and Duchess are doing something."

"I see."

Blondie eyed Daring, who was no longer looking at her, instead staring aimlessly in front of him.

"It's just that I do have a rather remarkable track record for knowing when a fair maiden is upset," Daring continued, "even if I often act…less than selflessly. I've yet to be wrong."

Blondie felt the pressure behind her eyes increase—felt the telltale burning and the sudden rock in her throat.

"Don't," she said, quietly, so much so that she was surprised when those pretty blue eyes immediately snapped back to her. "Please…don't make me say it. It's too…" _Pathetic. Humiliating. Painful._ "It's too hard."

Her voice cracked, and she clenched her jaw, willing it to stop trembling. What the hex did she think she was doing, breaking down in front of Daring Charming of all people?

Daring simply watched her, his eyes soft, patient as she struggled to pull herself together.

"It's…I can't—I never wanted…"

A sharp sob wracked Blondie's body, taking her completely by surprise, and her hand flew to her mouth too late to muffle the sound, her eyes wide and shining. Grimm, had she really been doing such a good job burying everything inside that she hadn't even realized how much it really hurt?

The sob, as it turned out, may have been the sound of the dam breaking, because the next thing she knew, Blondie was curled in on herself, tears streaming down her face and plopping onto her pretty dress. Her teeth dug hard into her lower lip to keep any more sounds escaping, but there was no curbing or slowing the tears. Her fingernails dug small, red crescent-shaped marks into her arms as she pulled them tightly toward her middle, as if to make herself as compact as humanly possible.

The warm, heavy arm falling over her shoulders barely registered in her state, but she welcomed the embrace, and the feeling of smallness it gave her.

If she could just be smaller, if she could just shrink until she was nothing at all… Then nobody could see her, nobody could look down on her, the unbiased reporter, for falling over something as silly and immaterial as a stupid, hopeless crush on her best friend.

If she could just shrink down until nobody could see her, she could huddle here forever, and never worry again about putting on that painful, fake smile so Cupid wouldn't see how much it was tearing her apart.

But she couldn't—not without some of those famous 'magic mushrooms' from Wonderland, at least, and Blondie didn't fancy the possibility of running into Kitty Cheshire in her present condition. She couldn't shrink, and she couldn't even hide under her covers and sleep it all away, because she'd been kicked out of her own dormitory.

So bubbly, energetic Blondie Lockes sat there, huddled in on herself on the stone bench, shaking with choked-back sobs as selfish, vain Daring Charming wrapped another arm around her, shielding her from view.

* * *

"Okay, let's run through the script one more time."

As the future goddess of love, Cupid liked to think of herself as a very patient and understanding individual.

"Alright, fine—this time, keep the camera more on me."

But _hex it_ if Duchess Swan was not pushing that core belief to its very breaking point!

First, she had shown up at lunch the previous day before, all but assaulting Blondie to get to Cupid, then forcing the two of them to sit down and listen to her detailed, multi-stepped plan. Then, today, she had abruptly shown up at their door, unceremoniously banished Blondie from the room, and demanded that they start with said plan immediately. Add to that the fact that Duchess, used to taking control, constantly tried to commandeer their little operation altogether, and slung roughly fifty critiques per idea on average, and Cupid was very close to calling it quits on the entire operation.

The only thing that was stopping her was her true and unceasing belief that love did, in fact trump all. War, poverty, hate…even Duchess Swan's caustic personality (she hoped).

That and her personal realization that, if Duchess and Poppy had indeed been an item for as long as Cupid had suspected, the tall ballerina was significantly more agreeable under Poppy's influence…albeit twice as nasty when she felt her place with Poppy was being threatened…

Well…call it charity.

Whatever the case, Cupid was about five seconds from ripping her own wings off in frustration. "Duchess," she said in an overly calm, measured voice. The pacing ballerina in question whirled on her, somehow making the move look like a part of an intricate, yet effortless, dance.

"Yes, what?" Duchess replied snappishly. Cupid had to admit, Duchess's form was flawless. She was clearly agitated, and yet her moves seemed just as calculated, yet free, as ever, as if she danced everywhere rather than walked. Even now, her poise (straight-backed, chin tilted upwards, clearly asserting her dominance) was something to be envied.

Cupid shook her head. Now was not the time to get lost in the beauty of the mortals around her, though she did frequently find herself doing just that. "Maybe we should just…you know…" She hesitated, not wanting to set Duchess off again, but fully aware that a fully scripted performance could negate the original purpose that Duchess had in coming to her. "Start filming? And just...go with it?"

"Off script?" Duchess squawked, balking as if the very idea was repulsive to her. "Cupid, this has to be _perfect_."

 _Then you shouldn't have kicked Blondie out._ Cupid was very tempted to make such a snarky comment, but knew it was just her frayed nerves getting to her. She _didn't_ like the way Duchess had treated Blondie at all, and intended to tell her as much…later, when they didn't have to work together afterward. For now, her rational brain told her that she needed to be the one to stay calm and level-headed if she ever wanted Duchess to leave.

"Should it really, though?" Cupid asked, somewhat timidly, as she looked up at Duchess with what she hoped was a convincing, imploring expression. "Scripted is just a step away from fake, and…well, you don't want it to seem fake, do you? Wouldn't that just make the situation even worse?"

Duchess frowned, creases forming between her sculpted brows. It was clear that she didn't want to admit that Cupid had a point, but that she noticed the flaw in her plan, as well.

"I…well, no," Duchess replied, for the first time seeming unsure of her response. Her pride appeared to be at war with her other emotions, and, while Cupid assumed it was much louder than the others, she hoped that, together, those other emotions would trump it.

Apparently, they did, because the next minute, Duchess had sighed and, folding her arms tightly over her chest and refusing to look at Cupid, muttered, "Fine."

"Thank you," Cupid said with her most charming smile, although all this got in response was a sneer. Skirting Duchess, she grabbed her video camera from her bed, along with small pink duffel bag that clanked when she lifted it. "Let's get this show on the road," she said with a giggle (that had Duchess rolling her eyes for what must have been the hundredth time that evening), before leading the way out of the room, duffel bag tossed awkwardly over her shoulder.

"Are you ready yet?"

"You know, this might…go faster…," Cupid began, her voice muffled as she fiddled with the camera stand, the pieces of which she'd pulled from the pink duffel once they reached the heart-themed recording studio where she did all her shows, "if I had a little…help, Duchess."

She heard Duchess scoff from behind her and rolled her own eyes. As excited as she naturally was at the prospect of what they were about to do, _hex_ , would she be glad when this was over with.

"Alright," Cupid said, more to herself than to Duchess as she slipped back behind the pink desk and into her heart-shaped chair. "The camera's on a timer, so, three, two…"

"Ooh, Cupid's webshow is on!"

Poppy groaned and yanked her comforter over her head. "Would you turn the volume down on that, Holly?" she asked, moodily.

Holly rolled her eyes. She wished Duchess would swallow her pride and apologize. Poppy could get unbearably grumpy when she was upset, and Holly had been on the receiving end of said grumpiness ever since Duchess had stormed out of their room several days before.

"Hello, denizens of Ever After High!"

Cupid's chirpy voice rang out into the room, sounding oddly distorted by Holly's tablet's small speakers. Poppy groaned and pulled the covers higher, until only a shock of violet hair was visible above them.

"I've got a special treat for all you lovebirds out there today!" Cupid continued from Holly's MirrorPad. "Usually I give out advice on love, but today we're going to hear about an honest-to-Grimm couple!" She gave an excited little squeal, very nearly bouncing in her seat.

"Can we just get this over with already?" came a somewhat nasally voice from the background. On screen Cupid visibly sighed and appeared to be restraining herself from rolling her eyes—in the O'Hair twins' room, Poppy sat bolt upright.

She'd know that voice—if not, the rudeness—anywhere. Without thinking, she scrambled off her bed (after tripping over the comforter she'd been tangled in) and scurried across the room to Holly's bed, hair a tousled mess. Wordlessly, Holly scooted aside to allow Poppy to clamber onto the bed beside her.

"That's—but what's _she_ doing on Cupid's show?" Poppy all but demanded as she grabbed the left side of Holly's tablet.

Holly shrugged. Inside, she was praying that this meant Duchess wasn't as selfish and unfeeling as she made out to be, but she didn't dare voice the thought in front of her sister, who was looking quite rough as it was.

"Ahem…anyway!" Cupid's voice continued, as the girl on screen made a conscious effort to ignore her guest's rudeness. "Welcome to the show, Duchess Swan!"

The camera panned to Duchess, who was sitting ramrod straight in an office chair in the corner of the small studio, arms folded over her chest, looking bored. The only tell that she was even remotely effected by being on a live broadcast was the nervous, impatient twitching of her left foot, which was dangling a few inches off the ground due to her crossed legs. Apparently realizing that the microphone was pointed at her now, Duchess huffed and tossed her hair over her shoulder, drawing herself up even further.

"Hi, yeah, could we just skip all the cheesy talk-show crap?" the ballerina asked, her tone dry and callous as ever.

The camera swiveled back to Cupid for a moment, whose lips were pursed, jaw working, and who appeared to be breathing very deeply. Next to Holly, Poppy couldn't stop the tiny, amused half-smile that lifted her lips—that was Duchess, alright.

"Okay!" Cupid said, voice a little too high to be normal. She shook her head and smiled at the camera, albeit in a slightly manic way. "I guess we'll be getting right to it, then! So, Duchess, for the viewers—you're here because you want to make an announcement, right?"

Duchess rolled her eyes as the camera focused on her once again, but the muscles in her long neck had tensed, and she swallowed visibly, her defined jaw tightening.

Poppy felt her heart rate accelerate even further at the sight of her (ex?) girlfriend close up. She hadn't seen Duchess since she'd confronted her—since their fight—and _Grimm_ , did Duchess have the sexiest bone structure Poppy had ever seen.

"Yes," Duchess said into the camera, though she couldn't seem to bring herself to look into it, her eyes flickering in an almost bored fashion to some off-screen point. "Right, well, I just thought it'd be easiest to do it like this," she continued. "I've been…well…dating someone for a while now, and I've been _informed_ ," here, the muscles in her neck spasmed slightly, as if it were difficult for her to say, "that I…may have…fucked up. A bit." Duchess pursed her lips, still staring determinedly away from the camera.

Poppy's eyes widened. Duchess couldn't possibly be—she _wouldn't_ , would she? She was far too proud…

Next to her, Holly bit her lower lip in anticipation.

Back on the screen, Cupid raised her eyebrows in perfectly mimicked curiosity. "Oh?" she asked. "How so?"

A harsh breath escaped Duchess's nose. "Well, I don't know if anyone knows this, but I'm not exactly…great…at sharing," she admitted in a clipped tone.

"We know," Cupid voice interrupted from offscreen. Duchess's eyes narrowed and flashed to the place where Cupid must have been sitting, and the camera turned back to the pink-haired hostess. Cupid, who didn't appear to have realized that she had even spoken, slowly raised her gaze and, upon seeing both Duchess's glare and the camera lens directed at her, clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt, Duchess."

Back on camera, Duchess scoffed. But she seemed to decide that Cupid's unconscious remark wasn't worth a fight, because after a moment, she continued. "Anyway." Now she was looking down at her nails. "I've been…dating someone recently," she said, her voice hesitant, but not lacking its usual surety. "And…I asked if we could keep it secret, because I…I wanted to keep it all to myself. But I guess I ended up hurting that person because of my selfishness and…" Duchess paused, closing her eyes for a long moment before opening them again, staring directly into the camera. "And I'm sorry, Poppy. Please let me be your girlfriend again. I…I _need_ you."

Holly chanced a glance at her twin, who appeared to be in a state of shock, staring wide-eyed at the tablet screen. Poppy was gripping her half of the tablet so hard that Holly had to force herself not to yank her prized tablet out of her sister's hand for fear she would crack the screen.

"Aww!" Cupid cooed, and the camera focused on her once again. Any traces of annoyance had effectively evaporated, leaving Ever After High's resident love doctor doe-eyed, hands clasped over her chest. "Duchess, that was…well, not exactly sweet, but certainly unexpected!"

"Don't get used to it," Duchess mumbled, offscreen, her blush nearly audible.

Beaming, Cupid turned her full attention on the camera. "Well, there you have it! We'll have to wait and see what happens from here, but I, for one, am totally rooting for Popchess!"

"Ugh, _don't_ call it that."

Cupid just playfully rolled her eyes at Duchess's snippy statement. "You can't fool us, Duchess—we all know you're really a softie beneath all those feathers!"

"Not for _you_ ," Duchess snapped as the camera switched back to her. "Oh!" She turned to face the screen head on, eyes narrowing threateningly. "And if _any_ of you assclowns so much as _looks_ at Poppy again, I will _personally_ flay you to within an inch of your—"

" _O-_ kay!" Cupid squeaked, and a pair of hands shot out in front of the camera lens, the world spinning for a moment before Cupid was once again in focus, looking a little apprehensive. "So that was our special program! Until next time, keep spreading the love!" She smiled and winked at the camera in her customary signoff, and the screen went blank.

For a long moment, the O'Hair twins sat in silence, still holding the tablet between them.

And then…

"Soooo…," Holly began in a teasing tone, grinning wide enough to split her face as she turned to face her twin, whose cheeks were redder than she'd ever seen them.

Poppy turned to face her sister, then immediately turned away and buried her face in her hands. "Don't make that stupid face," she said in a muffled voice. "It makes you look like a dork."

Ignoring Poppy's attempted insult, Holly leaned forward and pried her sister's hands away from her face.

"She _liiiikes_ you," Holly sang softly, still smiling stupidly.

"Shut up."

"You better go kiss her," Holly said, nudging Poppy in the side with her elbow. "Otherwise she'll think you don't want to get back together."

"Who says I do?" Poppy asked, petulantly, raising her head from her hands to level her sister with a defiant glare.

"Please, Poppy," Holly replied, rolling her eyes. "I've known bulldogs who drool less than you did when you were checking out those collarbones."

If possible, Poppy flushed even darker and dropped her face back into her hands, moaning theatrically.

Holly gave her a moment of embarrassment before poking her in the side.

"Get your ass up and go get your girl before she murders someone."

* * *

 **And that's chapter eighteen! Lots of stuff going on. The webcast didn't go exactly how I wanted it to but to be honest, it was a pain in the ass to write so I'm not redoing it xP Still, I hope you guys liked it anyway!**

 **Please remember to review, and look forward to next time! :D**


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